SHANGHAI – The Stanford men’s basketball team will open the 2016-17 season against Harvard in the 2016 Pac-12 China game, scheduled to be played in Shanghai on Nov. 12, 2016, Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott announced on Friday at a news conference in Shanghai.
The game, which will be televised live back in the United States on Nov. 11, will tip off the 2016-17 men’s basketball season.
The 2016 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.
Washington meets Texas in the 2015 Pac-12 China Game, in the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2015, in the first collegiate or professional regular-season contest in China. That game will be televised live in the United States at 7 p.m. PT on Friday, Nov. 13.
Specific venue and U.S. and China broadcast information for the 2016 Pac-12 China Game will be finalized at a later date. The game is the latest event of Pac-12 Global, an unprecedented effort to promote goodwill for the Conference and its member institutions through sport, and to provide student-athletes with a transformative cultural exchange experience.
“We are honored to be one of the first teams to play a regular-season game in China and are really looking forward to this tremendous opportunity to represent Stanford and the Pac-12 Conference in Shanghai," said Johnny Dawkins, Stanford’s Anne and Tony Joseph Director of Men's Basketball. “I was fortunate to be a part of the coaching staff for the United States Olympic Team that captured the Gold medal in 2008 and have very fond memories of China. This event will provide a rewarding cultural experience for our student-athletes, allowing our program to explore the city and play on a global stage against an exceptional school in Harvard.”
During the summer of 2008, Dawkins completed a three-year commitment as Player Personnel Director for the gold-medal winning USA Basketball National Team at the Olympics in Beijing.
In addition to the game, the 2016 Pac-12 China Game will feature educational and cultural experiences for student-athletes and university delegations to ensure they make the most of this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
“We are thrilled to announce Stanford and Harvard for next year’s game,” said Scott. “Both universities represent the very best of academic and athletic excellence, and we anticipate a great reception from the Chinese and global audience.”
Alibaba Group (NYSE: BABA), the world’s largest online and mobile commerce company, returns as the presenting sponsor and will distribute the game live via their mobile and digital distribution platforms.
The FUSC is China’s national solely authorized organization for university sports and operates under the Ministry of Education. Since 2011, the Pac-12 and FUSC have worked together to put on exhibition games featuring Pac-12 men’s and women’s basketball teams, as well as coaching clinics and educational symposiums on collegiate sports.
“This is a great opportunity for these students to participate in true cultural exchange through college sports,” said Scott. “Their experiences both on and off the court will not only be valuable to their future success, but also help foster goodwill and mutual understanding between our two countries.”