The AUBL has announced seed investment backed by Blue Pool Capital and will launch its inaugural tournament in August 2025 in Hangzhou, China. It brings together 12 of Asia’s leading university basketball programmes from China, Japan, South Korea and Chinese Taipei. The goal: match the energy of U.S. college NCAA “March Madness” style competition, while developing Asia’s next generation of talent. The league plans to expand to a full home-and-away format from 2026.