Dr. Sheldon Jacobson: AI and sports brackets
Reporters can request footage of SciLine’s interview with Dr. Sheldon Jacobson for use in their stories.
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Expert on Camera
Can AI help you build a better college basketball bracket?
On March 3, 2026, SciLine interviewed:
Dr. Sheldon Jacobson, a professor of computer science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He discussed topics including:
- How data and analytics help build brackets using seeding patterns and past results;
- Why the odds of a perfect bracket are astronomically low;
- How data-driven models evaluate team performance, seeding, and matchup probabilities; and
- Common mistakes people make when filling out brackets.
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