Rakuten and JUBF Unveil the Third Edition of "World University Basketball Series 2024," a Global Gathering of World-Class University Teams Coming to Tokyo This August

- WUBS returns for its third year: Tickets now available on the official site: https://www.sports.rakuten.net/wubs/en/

Tokyo, June 11, 2024 - Rakuten Group, Inc. and the All Japan University Basketball Federation (JUBF) today announced the teams participating in Sun Chlorella’s World University Basketball Series 2024 (WUBS 2024), a champions league-style tournament for world-class university basketball teams to be held for the third time this August.

WUBS 2024 is hosted by JUBF with operation support provided by Rakuten Sports, a Rakuten Group business focused on creating partnerships with professional athletes and other sports services. The event is now in its third edition and is set to take place from August 10 to 12 at the Yoyogi National Stadium Second Gymnasium in collaboration with presenting partner Sun Chlorella.

Tickets for the games are now available for purchase on this dedicated page.

This year’s participating universities are Perbanas Institute from Indonesia, Korea University from South Korea, WUBS 2023 champions National Chengchi University (NCCU) from Chinese Taipei, the 75th All Japan University Basketball Championship winners Hakuoh University from Japan and the 73rd Kanto University Basketball Championship winners Nippon Sport Science University from Japan, along with De La Salle University from the Philippines. Additionally, new entries from University of Sydney in Australia and Japanese university men's basketball select team (JUBF selection) have been confirmed to participate in the tournament. A total of eight teams including seven men’s basketball teams from six countries and regions and a Japanese university men's basketball select team (JUBF selection) will compete in a series of 12 tournament games over three days to determine the 2024 series champion.

In the previous editions of the games, TV and online broadcasts reached over 3.8 million viewers in four Asian countries in 2022, and in 2023, the competition attracted more than 11 million viewers worldwide. WUBS 2024 is dedicated to empowering university basketball, enhancing the prestige and value of university basketball on a global scale, and nurturing the growth of future talent in alignment with its mission.

Naoki Hayashi, president of JUBF and chairman of the World University Basketball Series Organizing Committee, commented, “We would like to express our gratitude to everyone involved in WUBS 2024, set to be held from August 10. This year, we have the privilege of hosting talented teams from seven leading international universities, including those from Japan, as well as the Japanese university men's basketball select team (JUBF selection). We expect the games to be a fiercely competitive and thrilling event that sets itself apart from other national competitions. We also hope this tournament serves as a catalyst for the growth of the university basketball community and fosters a broader network of friendships.”

Going forward Rakuten Sports and JUBF will continue to empower the next generation of rising athletes through WUBS, promoting the appeal of basketball to fans worldwide and contributing to the further development of the basketball community.

WUBS Overview
Tournament name: Sun Chlorella presents World University Basketball Series 2024
Tournament host: All Japan University Basketball Federation (JUBF)
Tournament organizing committee: World University Basketball Series Organizing Committee
Tournament operation support: Rakuten Sports
Support: Shibuya Ward, Shibuya Tourism Association, Future Design Shibuya General Incorporated Association
Date: Saturday, August 10 to Monday, August 12, 2024
Venue: Yoyogi National Stadium Second Gymnasium (Tokyo, Shibuya Ward, Jinnan 2-1-1)
Format: Tournament system
Number of games: 12 games in total

Tournament Schedule
Round 1
Saturday, August 10, 2024
Game 1 – 11:10 -  Perbanas Institute (Indonesia)  vs De La Salle University (Philippines)
Game 2 – 13:40 - National Chengchi University (Chinese Taipei) vs Nippon Sport Science University (Japan)
Game 3 – 16:10 - Hakuoh University (Japan) vs University of Sydney (Australia)
Game 4 – 18:40 - Japanese university men's basketball select team (JUBF selection) vs Korea University (South Korea)

Semi-finals, playoffs
Sunday, August 11, 2024
Game 5 – 11:10 - Game 1 losers vs Game 2 losers
Game 6 – 13:40 - Game 3 losers vs Game 4 losers
Semifinal 1 (Game 7) – 16:10 - Game 1 winners vs Game 2 winners
Semifinal 2 (Game 8) – 18:40 - Game 3 winners vs Game 4 winners

Finals, playoffs
Monday, August 12, 2024
7th place playoff (Game 9) – 11:10 - Game 5 losers vs Game 6 losers
5th place playoff (Game 10) – 13:40 - Game 5 winners vs Game 6 winners
3rd place playoff (Game 11) – 16:10 - Game 7 losers vs Game 8 losers
Final (Game 12) – 18:40 - Game 7 winners vs Game 8 winners
*Schedule subject to change.

Participating teams: University of Sydney (Australia), National Chengchi University (Chinese Taipei), Perbanas Institute (Indonesia), Hakuoh University (Japan), Nippon Sport Science University (Japan), De La Salle University (Philippines), Korea University (South Korea), Japanese university men's basketball select team (JUBF selection)
Competition rules and regulations: In accordance with FIBA competition rules (with some adaptations to local regulations)
Broadcast platforms:
– NBA Rakuten, the one-stop destination for fans in Japan to watch NBA (National Basketball Association) games and programming
– R Channel, Rakuten’s free linear video streaming service (no registration required)
*Broadcast media may change or be added in the future.

For inquiries about tickets: com-ticket-wubs@mail.rakuten.com
For inquiries about the tournament: jubf.kouhou@gmail.com

About Rakuten Sports
Rakuten Sports is a Rakuten Group service that focuses on creating partnerships built on shared values with professional sports teams, athletes, brands and rights-holders. For more information visit https://www.sports.rakuten.net/en/

About JUBF
The All Japan University Basketball Federation is an organization whose purpose is to strengthen, promote and grow university basketball in Japan. JUBF is also a member of the Japan Basketball Association and the University Sports Association. As of today, the federation has 361 men's teams and 290 women's teams registered. The student federations in Japan are divided into a total of 11 federations over nine districts, with each student federation overseeing university basketball in its respective district.