Cal to Face Yale in 2018 Pac-12 China Game
BERKELEY – California men's basketball will open the 2018-19 season against Yale in China in the fourth edition of the Pac-12 China Game presented by Alibaba Group.
The flagship event of Pac-12 Global is 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.
In addition to the game, the trip will include educational and cultural experiences for student-athletes and university delegations.
"We're thrilled to be able to tip off our season representing the University of California and the Pac-12 in China next year," said Cal head coach Wyking Jones. "We have a unique opportunity to provide our student-athletes an enriching cultural experience on an international stage. Cal is a global brand, and our players will get a special opportunity to witness that firsthand. As someone who played abroad myself, I'm excited to share in this incredible experience with our basketball family."
The 2018 Pac-12 China Game will be presented by Alibaba Group with Federation of University Sports of China (FUSC), which operates under China's Ministry of Education, serving as the co-host for the game.
"The Pac-12 is thrilled to bring another exciting matchup to Chinese fans in 2018 with two fantastic
schools in the University of California, Berkeley and Yale," said Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott. "We are particularly pleased that this game will once again be presented by Alibaba whose own Joe Tsai is an esteemed alumni of Yale and co-hosted by the Federation of University Sports of China, two incredibly committed partners. The 2018 Pac-12 China Game will once again be an incredible educational experience for student-athletes and continue to grow the popularity of the Pac-12 and college sports in China."
The announcement was made before the tipoff of the 2017 UCLA and Georgia Tech China Game at Baoshan Arena in Shanghai, and just two days after another successful edition of the China-U.S. University Sports and Education Summit at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. 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. Just last month, the Pac-12 and Alibaba announced an expansion and extension of their China Game partnership, including Alibaba's continued sponsorship of the China Game through 2020 along with distribution of Pac-12 content in China across both linear and digital platforms through 2024.
Specific date, venue and broadcast information will be announced at a later date.