All-Pac-12 matchup between Arizona State, Colorado announced for 2019 Pac-12 China Game
SHANGHAI – The Pac-12 announced today that Arizona State University and the University of Colorado Boulder will meet in 2019 in the fifth edition of the Pac-12 China Game presented by Alibaba Group. Longtime Pac-12 partner Federation of University Sports of China (FUSC), which operates under China’s Ministry of Education, will serve as the co-host for the game. The Pac-12 China Game is the flagship event of Pac-12 Global, designed to grow the global popularity of Pac-12 athletic programs and universities, fostering cultural exchange through sport, and creating unique educational experiences for Pac-12 student-athletes.
“As the popularity of the Pac-12 and college sports continues to grow in China, it’s fitting we provide the opportunity for multiple member universities to participate in the phenomenal week of events created through our Conference’s partnership with Alibaba and the Federation of University Sports of China,” said Pac-12 Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Jamie Zaninovich. “We look forward to exposing two of our basketball programs and their student-athletes to the country and culture of China, and expanding the educational and global impact of Arizona State and Colorado.”
“We are proud to welcome these two excellent programs to China,” said Alibaba Group Vice Chairman Joe Tsai. “This will be a once in a lifetime education experience for these players to learn about the history, culture, and economy of China, and to help serve as global ambassadors for America.”
The announcement was made before the tipoff of the 2018 California and Yale China Game at Baoshan Sports Center in Shanghai, and one day after another successful edition of the China-U.S. University Sports and Education Summit at the Suzhou New District Cultural and Sports Center. The summit is an annual staple of the Pac-12 China Game and brings together university students, administrators, coaches, sports industry experts, and business and political leadership from China and the U.S. The Pac-12 and Alibaba partnership includes Alibaba’s continued sponsorship of the China Game through 2020 along with distribution of Pac-12 content in China across both digital and linear platforms through 2024.
“With the high expectation and enthusiasm of the basketball fans in China, we will spare no efforts to work closely with the Pac-12 for the upcoming game in 2019 and welcome the first-ever two Pac-12 member university teams to showcase their tactics and passionate spirit,” said Xue Yanqing, FUSC President.
The matchup between the Sun Devils and Buffaloes, tentatively scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 9 and for national broadcast in both the U.S. and China, will not count as a conference contest. The teams are slated to meet only once during the 2019-20 Pac-12 Conference regular season as part of the league’s annual 18-game rotation model.
“We are thrilled for the tremendous opportunity to showcase all the energy, investments and innovative ideas our campus has been working on and for a great educational experience for our student-athletes in China,” said Arizona State Vice President for University Athletics Ray Anderson. “ASU has more than 13,000 international students from 136 countries, the largest number of international students of any public university in the United States. Nearly 4,000 are Chinese students, representing our top contingent of international students at ASU. We already partner with many of the top Chinese universities, as well as the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Science and Technology, so being part of this event is a natural next step and one ASU embraces. We are excited for not just our program, but all of Arizona State.”
“Our team is thrilled to travel to China next year,” said Colorado Director of Athletics Rick George. “It will be a great learning experience for our student-athletes and a great opportunity for them to learn a different culture while simultaneously playing an exhibition game against a local Chinese team and a regular season game against Arizona State. Furthermore, we have over 1,000 CU Boulder international students from China, our largest enrollment of any foreign country. So knowing this game is happening in China will be a point of pride for our current students and serve as good exposure for future prospective students from China. This will be a great opportunity both culturally and athletically for all involved and we are looking forward to participating in this game.”
Saturday’s 2018 Pac-12 China Game between Cal and Yale will be televised in the United States on ESPNU at 8:00 p.m. PT/11:00 p.m. ET on Friday with immediate re-air on ESPN2 at 10:15 p.m. PT., and streamed live on Youku Sports in China. Additionally, Facebook Live will stream the game to its users outside the U.S. and China.
About Pac-12 Global:
Founded in 2011, Pac-12 Global is an unprecedented effort to harness the passion and spirit of collegiate athletics to showcase the Pac-12 Conference and its member institutions around the world, while giving student-athletes access to transformative life experiences and impactful cultural exchanges. The initiative uses athletics to support the ambitious international strategies that many Pac-12 universities have embarked upon to extend their reach around the world. For more information on the initiative and its history, go to www.pac-12.com/global.