AUBL announces 12 teams for championship to be held this August

The Asian University Basketball League (AUBL) has announced the 12 teams that will participate in the "2nd AUBL Championship," to be held from Sunday, August 2 to Sunday, August 9, 2026, in Hangzhou, China. From Japan, Hakuoh University, last year's Intercollegiate Championship winner, and Waseda University, the runner-up, will participate.

This tournament will feature a total of 12 teams, including 6 teams that participated last year and 6 teams making their debut in the AUBL. It will also be the first time for universities from the Philippines and Australia to participate in the AUBL. The participating teams are as follows:

- Hakuoh University (Japan)
Founded in 1986, Hakuoh University is one of the most dynamic teams in Japanese university basketball. It boasts three victories in the All Japan University Basketball Championship (Intercollegiate Championship) in 2021, 2023, and 2025, and placed 3rd in the inaugural AUBL tournament last year. This year, the team aims for further success on the Asian stage.

- Waseda University (Japan) *First appearance*
Waseda University is one of Japan's most influential and historically renowned universities. Its basketball club, with a 103-year history, is a traditional powerhouse in Japanese university basketball, consistently making its presence felt in top-level competitions. Most recently, it was the runner-up in the 2025 Intercollegiate Championship.

- Peking University (China)
Peking University is globally renowned academically, consistently ranking among the world's top 20. On the court, its men's basketball team has achieved numerous brilliant results in CUBAL (Chinese University Basketball League), including national championships in the 2014-15 season, three consecutive titles from 2017 to 2019, and a championship in the 2024-25 season.

- Tsinghua University (China)
Tsinghua University is one of China's most prestigious universities, consistently ranking among the world's top 20. Its men's basketball team has dominated CUBAL over the past decade, winning national championships in 2016, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2024. They were the runner-up in AUBL 2025 and aim for the top again this year.

- Shanghai Jiao Tong University (China)
Shanghai Jiao Tong University is one of Asia's leading prestigious universities. Its men's basketball team has a long history of top-level performance in CUBAL, placing 4th in the 2024-25 season and winning the Southeast Asian regional championship in the 2025-26 season. It is also the alma mater of basketball legend and AUBL investor, Yao Ming.

- Yonsei University (South Korea)
Yonsei University is one of South Korea's premier universities. Its men's basketball team has established itself as a powerhouse over many years, achieving five consecutive U-League (Korean University League) championships from 2016 to 2020 and reaching the semi-finals in the 2024-25 season. The university also won the "Asian University Basketball Challenge," an AUBL test event held in Hong Kong in December 2024.

- Korea University (South Korea) *First appearance*
Korea University is one of South Korea's most influential universities. Its men's basketball team boasts brilliant achievements, including five consecutive U-League championships from 2021 to 2025, solidifying its position as one of the country's top powerhouses.

- National Chengchi University (Chinese Taipei)
National Chengchi University enters as the defending champion of last year's AUBL tournament and as one of the strongest teams in recent Asian university basketball history. It has achieved a remarkable 74-game winning streak in UBA (Taiwan University League) and has won national titles for six consecutive years from 2021 to 2026.

- The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong, China) *First appearance*
The Chinese University of Hong Kong won the Hong Kong University Sports Federation Men's Basketball Championship in the 2025-26 season this April, securing its first title in 33 years. Ranking among the world's top 40 universities with high recognition in medicine, humanities, and engineering, the university brings academic excellence and new competitive energy to the tournament.

- National University of Mongolia (Mongolia) *First appearance*
The National University of Mongolia is the country's oldest and most representative higher education institution, serving as the cornerstone of its higher education. In recent years, its men's basketball team has emerged as a national powerhouse, winning Division 1 of the MCBA (Mongolian Collegiate Basketball Association) in 2022 and 2023, and placing runner-up in the 2025-26 season.

- University of the Philippines (Philippines) *First appearance*
The University of the Philippines is one of the country's leading prestigious universities, known for having produced six presidents and numerous professional basketball players. Its men's basketball team participates in the UAAP (University Athletic Association of the Philippines).