AUBL Unveils Elite 12-Team Lineup for August 2026 Championship

Hong Kong, China, May 13, 2026 – The Asian University Basketball League (AUBL) has officially raised the curtain on its highly anticipated 2026 summer edition, announcing today the premier academic and athletic institutions set to battle for the 2^nd AUBL Championship from August 2 – 9, 2026 at Binjiang Gymnasium in Hangzhou, China.

AUBL2026 will feature a high-level assembly of 12 universities from across the continent, with 6 returning powerhouses from last year’s tournament and 6 first-time AUBL participants, including teams from the Philippines and Australia. From defending champions to new challengers, here is the field:‍

• ‍Hakuoh University (Japan)
  Founded in 1986, Hakuoh University has quickly risen to become one of the most dynamic programs in Japanese university basketball. The team has captured the JUBF All‑Japan University Championship three times – in 2021, 2023, and 2025. After a strong third‑place finish in the inaugural AUBL season, Hakuoh returns determined to take the next step on the regional stage.‍‍

• ‍Korea University (Korea)
  Korea University stands as one of Korea’s most influential institutions. Its men’s basketball program has built a formidable legacy, capturing 14 MBC Cup Korea University Basketball titles along with five consecutive U-League national championships from 2021 to 2025, solidifying its leading status among the nation’s elite programs. Korea University will make its AUBL debut this August in Hangzhou.

• National Chengchi University (Chinese Taipei)
  NCCU arrives as the reigning 2025 AUBL champion and one of the most dominant programs in recent Asian university basketball history. The team has established unparalleled success in University Basketball Association (UBA), highlighted by a record 74‑game winning streak and six consecutive national titles from 2021 to 2026, marking an era of sustained excellence that now continues onto the AUBL stage.

• National University of Mongolia (Mongolia)
  The National University of Mongolia stands as the country’s oldest and most representative higher education institution, serving as a cornerstone of Mongolia’s higher education. In recent years, its men’s basketball team has emerged as one of the nation’s most dynamic programs, winning the MCBA Division I championship in 2022 and 2023 and following it up with a runner‑up finish in the 2025–26 season. 

• ‍Peking University (China)
  Peking University is globally renowned for its academic excellence and consistently ranks as one of the top 20 best universities in the world. On the court, its men’s basketball program stands as one of the most storied in CUBAL history, highlighted by a national title in 2014-15, a dominant three-peat from 2017 to 2019, and a championship return in the 2024-25 season.

• Shanghai Jiao Tong University (China)
  SJTU is one of Asia’s top leading universities. Its men’s basketball team has long been a steady presence among CUBAL’s national elites, finishing fourth in the 2024–25 season and capturing the Southeast Region championship in 2025–26. SJTU is the alma mater of Yao Ming, global basketball icon and AUBL investor.

• Tsinghua University (China)
  Tsinghua University is one of China’s most prestigious institutions and consistently ranks as one of the top 20 best universities in the world. Its men’s basketball team has been a defining force in CUBAL for the past decade, capturing national championships in 2016, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2024. As runner-up of AUBL 2025, Tsinghua is ready for its comeback this summer.

• The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong, China)
  This April, CUHK ended a 33-year title drought and claimed the 2025-26 University Sports Federation of Hong Kong men’s basketball championship. Ranked as a top 40 university in the world and known for its strengths in medicine, humanities, and technology, the university brings both academic distinction and fresh competitive energy to the tournament.

• University of the Philippines (Philippines)
  The University of the Philippines is one of the country’s leading academic institutions, known for producing six national presidents and a long line of professional basketball players. Its men’s basketball team carries a storied tradition in the UAAP, having claimed four national championships in 1940,1986, 2022, and 2024, and finishing runner‑up in 2025. Now, UP makes its debut in the AUBL, representing the Philippines with one of the region’s most recognizable collegiate basketball programs.

• ‍University of Sydney (Australia)
  The University of Sydney is one of Australia’s most prestigious universities, internationally ranked 25th and tracing its roots back to 1850. Its men’s basketball program has become a mainstay in the Australian University Basketball League (UBL), consistently competing at the top of the standings. The team captured the national championship in 2022 and finished runner‑up in both 2024 and 2025 and now enters AUBL as Australia’s first representative.

• Waseda University (Japan)
  Waseda is one of Japan’s most influential and historically prominent universities. The school’s 103-year-old basketball program is set to make its AUBL debut this summer. A traditional powerhouse of Japanese university basketball, Waseda has remained a consistent presence at the highest level of competition, most recently finishing as national runner‑up in the JUBF All‑Japan University Championship 2025.

• Yonsei University (Korea)
  Yonsei is one of Korea’s most prestigious universities. Its men’s basketball team has long been a benchmark of excellence, capturing five consecutive U-League national championships from 2016 to 2020 and reaching the semifinals in the2024–25 season, reinforcing its status as a perennial contender in Korean university basketball. Yonsei was the champion of AUBL’s test event – the Asian University Basketball Challenge in December 2024 in Hong Kong.

Greg Stolt, Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations at AUBL, commented: “The 2026 AUBL tournament brings together some of the most established university basketball programs across Asia, including exciting first-time participants from the Philippines and Australia. For fans, this is what university basketball is all about — a close connection to the game and players that you cannot find anywhere else, student-athletes testing themselves against top competition from across the region, and the pride, tradition, and atmosphere that make collegiate sports so special. It is an opportunity to support your favorite teams, watch future stars compete, and experience the intensity and passion of high-level university basketball.”

“The Asian University Sports Federation is proud to support AUBL in bringing together top university teams from across the region,” said Seetow Cheng Fave, Secretary General of the Asian University Sports Federation (AUSF). “Having experienced the energy of the inaugural 2025 season, we are delighted to see the competition return with such a strong and diverse lineup. AUBL serves as an important platform for both high-level competition and meaningful sports and cultural exchange. We look forward to seeing teams connect, compete, and strengthen ties across Asian countries and regions.”

Last year, National Chengchi University captured the inaugural AUBL championship in an 82-79 nail-biting victory over Tsinghua University. With new teams and a fresh wave of talent, Asian university basketball will reach new heights this August 2-9  at AUBL 2026 before the league transitions to a home-and-away format starting November this year. This summer in Hangzhou, rivalries will be reignited, contrasting playing styles will collide, and the next generation of stars will announce themselves.

‍

About the Asian University Basketball League (AUBL)

Sanctioned by the Asian University Sports Federation (AUSF), the Asian University Basketball League (AUBL) is a premier pan-regional intercollegiate basketball league featuring Asia’s most distinguished university programs. AUBL made its debut in 2025 as an elite tournament and will return in August 2026 with another high-stakes tournament, before transitioning to a full home-and-away season format tipping off in November 2026. The AUBL’s mission is to serve as a unifying platform for Asia’s student athletes to compete at the highest level and advance the cultural impact of collegiate sports across the region.

For more information, please visit: www.aubl.com or contact press@aubl.com