BEIJING, April 9 (Xinhua) -- The Asian University Basketball League (AUBL) announced Thursday its return to Hangzhou, China in August.
According to the league, the 2026 edition will be held in Hangzhou Aug. 2-9 as a standalone tournament, featuring 12 university basketball programs from China, Japan, South Korea and Mongolia, along with first-time entrants from the Philippines and Australia competing for the title.
AUBL is also preparing to launch its inaugural home-and-away season, set to tip off in late November 2026 and run through early April 2027, with 16 of Asia's top university teams expected to participate.
Sanctioned by the Asian University Sports Federation (AUSF), the league debuted with a weeklong tournament in Hangzhou last August.
"The response last year to our debut season confirmed what we believed from the start: there is a real appetite for a platform like this across Asia. Schools, coaches, players, and fans are ready for something bigger," said Jay Li, CEO and co-founder of AUBL.
"Attending last year's AUBL Finals in person and witnessing firsthand the energy in the arena, the passion of the fans, and the level of play on the court further reinforced my belief that the league is headed in the right direction," said Joe Tsai, Brooklyn Nets owner and one of the investors in AUBL.
AUBL also announced the closing of its Series A funding round, with new investors including global basketball icon and former Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) president Yao Ming.
"Getting rejected by an NCAA college remains one of the regrets of my playing career," said Yao. "With AUBL, I'm proud to be able to support the right platform for student-athletes in Asia and also to be a diehard fan cheering for my alma mater (Shanghai Jiao Tong University)." ■
