Charles Barkley Spurns Alma Mater In March Madness Bracket

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Spencer Ostrow | Last updated Mar 20, 2025 2:35 PM ET

Charles Barkley was in the CBS studio on Thursday, covering the start of the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 64. The action tipped off with a South Region matchup between No. 9 seed Creighton and No. 8 seed Louisville.

Barkley had a particular interest in that game, as the winner would move on to the Round of 32 to face either No. 16 seed Alabama State or his alma mater, No. 1 seed Auburn Tigers.

With Auburn coming into the Tournament with the third-shortest odds to win the national championship at +550 (ESPN BET), one would think Barkley would pick them to win it all in his bracket.

It turns out he didn't and went with another No. 1 seed, the Florida Gators. If both teams reach the Final Four, Auburn and Florida would meet in San Antonio, where Barkley has his Tigers’ run ending.

Florida is one of only two teams with better championship odds than Auburn. According to ESPN BET, the Gators are listed at +350. The two teams met earlier this season in Auburn, with Florida winning 90-81.

Here's Barkley's full bracket, which consists of No. 4 seed Arizona and No. 8 seed Gonzaga joining Auburn and Florida in the Final Four.

Chuck’s Bracket!

Auburn Final Four
Florida vs Zags in the Natty
Grand Canyon > Maryland#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/am5hkx1KOx
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 20, 2025

Barkley played for Auburn from 1981-84, making his lone NCAA Tournament appearance in his final season, where the Tigers were eliminated in the first round. He was then selected fifth overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1984 NBA draft.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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