SHANGHAI – The Pac-12 announced today that the University of Washington and Tulane University will meet in 2020 in the sixth 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 create unique educational experiences for Pac-12 student-athletes, foster cultural exchange through sport, and grow the global popularity of Pac-12 athletic programs and universities.

 

“As we celebrate the fifth anniversary of our Pac-12 China Game and nearly a decade of the Pac-12 Global Initiative, we look forward to the continued relationship between the Conference and our China partners in welcoming Washington and Tulane in 2020,” said Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott. “The tenet of our Pac-12 Global Initiative is that higher education and sports have the power to foster learning, understanding and togetherness between people and cultures. We’re proud to work with Alibaba and the FUSC in continued efforts to engage our universities and student-athletes in global experiences.”

 

The announcement was made before tipoff of the 2019 Arizona State-Colorado 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 Shanghai University of Finance and Economics.  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 more than 175 Pac-12 events in China across both digital and linear platforms through 2024.

 

“The past five years have witnessed the successful collaboration between FUSC and Pac-12 that has led to the the incredible popularity of the Pac-12 China Game. We have the great pleasure to once again welcome the men’s basketball team from University of Washington along with Tulane University for the exciting event in 2020,” said Xue Yanqing, FUSC President. 

 

The matchup between the Huskies and Green Wave is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 14 and for national broadcast in both the U.S. and China. It will mark Washington’s second time participating in the Pac-12 China Game as the Huskies defeated the Texas Longhorns, 77-71, in the inaugural contest on Nov. 13, 2015.

 

“We are excited for our men’s basketball program to have the chance to return to China next year and represent our institution and conference on the international level,” said Washington Director of Athletics Jen Cohen. “This will be a wonderful opportunity for our student-athletes and coaches to experience the Chinese culture and showcase our university. The UW has a strong alumni base in China, and we are looking forward to getting in front of our alumni and making those connections again next year.”

 

Washington was picked to finish third in the Pac-12 preseason media poll after claiming the Conference’s regular-season championship and winning 27 games in 2018-19. Back-to-back John R. Wooden Pac-12 Coach of the Year Mike Hopkins has restocked the Huskies’ roster for 2019-20 with McDonald’s All-Americans Quade Green, Jaden McDaniels and Isaiah Stewart.

 

“This is a tremendous opportunity for our student-athletes to take part in a once-in-a-lifetime experience against an elite-level opponent in the University of Washington,” said Tulane Director of Athletics Troy Dannen. “I would like to thank the Pac-12 Conference for their invitation to our institution to compete in this world-class event. The Pac-12 China Game represents our institutional vision of providing international opportunities for our student-athletes and we are thrilled to be part of this contest.”

 

Tulane, which enters its first season under new head coach Ron Hunter, will be led in 2019-20 by leading returning scorer Kevin Zhang, a sophomore from Shenyang, China who averaged 6.5 points last season including 24 in his collegiate debut against nationally ranked Florida State. The 6-10 guard/forward will be 1-of-5 Chinese-born players in NCAA Division I this season and is the son of 1992 Olympic silver medalist and former China Women’s National Team coach Wang Fang.

 

Saturday’s 2019 Pac-12 China Game between ASU and Colorado will be televised in the United States on ESPN2 at 7:30 p.m. PT/8:30 p.m. MT/10:30 p.m. ET on Friday, and streamed live on Youku Sports in China.

 

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 Pac-12.com/global.