Pac-12 announces educational and cultural activities at Pac-12 China Game

Oct 15, 2015

SAN FRANCISCO – Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott announced several off-the-court activities at the Pac-12 China Game today during his speech at Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Media Day. Beyond the game, the Conference has scheduled educational and cultural experiences for student-athletes and university delegations.

“We have planned a full week for our student-athletes and administrators to ensure they make the most of this once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Scott. “We look forward to a seminal educational exchange for our student-athletes, and a great way for our member institutions to deepen their academic ties with China.”

The week will start off with a two-day visit to Alibaba Group’s headquarters in Hangzhou, where student-athletes will take part in an educational seminar on Chinese business. This seminar will seek to educate the student-athletes on strategic societal, cultural, and business trends taking place across China, including in the important area of e-commerce and mobile technology. Following the trip, Alibaba will provide the education module to all Pac-12 institutions.

After the trip to Hangzhou, the student-athletes and university delegations will participate in a series of cultural activities in Shanghai, including visits to city landmarks and a nighttime cruise on the Hungpu River to admire the world-famous “Bund.”

Also in Shanghai, the university delegations will meet with education and government leaders in China to focus on cooperative programs in student and faculty exchange, research, and online education. In addition, the university delegations will participate in a U.S.-China Collegiate Sports & Education Forum to discuss collegiate sports’ impact on higher education. Attendees at the symposium will include Chinese Ministry of Education officials, senior officials from Shanghai Education Commission, Chinese university presidents, and sports legends such as Yao Ming and Bill Walton.

Following the Pac-12 China Game, an academic delegation from all 12 Pac-12 institutions will participate in three educational expos that will introduce Pac-12 universities to Chinese students and families. The expos will take place in the cities of Shanghai, Nantong, and Suzhou.

Pac-12 China Game Details:

Official Name: Pac-12 China Game
Universities: University of Washington Huskies vs. University of Texas Longhorns
Date & Venue: Nov. 14 at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai
Time & Television: 11 a.m. local Shanghai time and broadcast live in the United States on ESPN on Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. ET.
Co-Host in China: Federation of University Sports of China (FUSC), which operates under China’s Ministry of Education
Presenting Sponsor: The Alibaba Group will serve as the presenting sponsor for the Pac-12 China Game for the next two years.

Fast Facts about Pac-12 Global:

Since starting the initiative in 2011, the Pac-12 has sent two men’s basketball teams (UCLA, Arizona State) and one women’s basketball team (Cal), two all-star women’s volleyball teams, and one all-star men’s basketball team to compete in China.
In the U.S., the Pac-12 has hosted three U.S.-China Symposiums on Collegiate Sports Development at the 2013, 2014, and 2015 Pac-12 Basketball Tournaments.
The Pac-12 has a key partnership with the Federation of University Sports of China (FUSC) for the Initiative. The FUSC is China’s national organization for university sports and operates under the Ministry of Education.
Across Pac-12 institutions (undergrad and graduate), international students make up roughly 14 percent of the student body.
More than 21,000 students (undergrad and grad) at Pac-12 institutions are from China.
Basketball is the most popular sport in China with an estimated 300 million playing the sport.