Salerno, the Capital of European Universities 3x3 Basketball Championship 2025
Salerno, 28 July 2025 – Thirty-three universities involved, 44 European teams from 17 nations, 250 athletes and staff members, and over 130 official matches to be held at the sports facilities of the Fisciano Campus of the University of Salerno. These are the key figures of the European Universities 3x3 Basketball Championship 2025—one of the most thrilling events in the European university sports calendar—which anticipates the EUG Salerno 2026, the European Universities Games that will welcome around 4,000 participants to Campania next year.
Organized by the University of Salerno, CUS Salerno, and ADISURC (the Regional Agency for the Right to Education in Campania), with support from the Campania Region, and under the auspices of FederCUSI and FISU, the event was officially presented this morning at the University of Salerno by Rector Prof. Vincenzo Loia, President of CUS Salerno Avv. Lorenzo Lentini, and EUSA President Adam Roczek, in the presence of the Vice President of the Campania Region, Hon. Fulvio Bonavitacola.
During the press conference, the rich programme of side events was also unveiled—including cultural and entertainment activities—designed to foster intercultural exchange between athletes and the local community, while also enhancing the region’s cultural and natural heritage. The European Universities 3x3 Basketball Championship 2025 will, in fact, serve as an opportunity for approximately 250 participants to discover the beauty of the province of Salerno and to appreciate its unique local products, a true added value for the territory.
The opening ceremony of the event—which will also feature three individual competitions (Men’s Shoot-Out, Women’s Shoot-Out, and Men’s Dunk Contest)—will take place on Friday, 1 August, in the Aula Magna, which will provide a magnificent setting for the parade of nations, as delegations proudly wave their flags in a vibrant celebration of international unity.
Rector Prof. Vincenzo Loia opened the conference with the following statement:
"UNISA is ready to demonstrate its sense of community through the values of Sport. The many facilities available across our campuses in Fisciano and Baronissi, and the wide range of disciplines offered to students and the broader community, are clear proof that Sport has always played a central role in our university. It serves as a direct link between growth and education for our students.
Sport means sacrifice, responsibility, and respect for others. Above all, for us, Sport means connection. And our University—thanks to its spatial structure as a ‘small city’ encompassing all services and facilities within two large campuses—has embedded in its DNA the values of sharing and socialization."
The 17 participating nations are: Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Turkey, and Ukraine. The event is promoted by FISU and the Italian Federation of University Sports (FederCUSI) under the umbrella of the European University Sports Association (EUSA), and coordinated in Italy by CUS Salerno, the official sports centre of the University of Salerno, a leading player in university sports and a promoter of physical activity among students and staff.
"It is a great pleasure for me to extend greetings on behalf of the European University Sports Association on this very special day," said Adam Roczek, President of EUSA. "Today marks the countdown: there are now fewer than 365 days until the opening ceremony of the European Universities Games to be held in Salerno in 2026. The University of Salerno, CUS Salerno, FederCUSI, and all local partners are working tirelessly to make this event unforgettable for the more than 4,000 student-athletes who will come to Italy next year.
But university sport is much more than a competition: it is about friendship, joy, and building bridges between nations and people. I look forward to seeing you again next year in Salerno. Remember: the passion never ends!"
The European Universities 3x3 Basketball Championship, a biennial tournament, is part of the official programme of university sports, having evolved from its streetball origins into a global phenomenon. For Salerno, the event represents a key prelude to the European Universities Games 2026, which will be hosted at the Fisciano and Baronissi Campuses following the successful bid concluded in April 2022.
"The Salerno edition of the European Universities 3x3 Basketball Championship is much more than a sports competition—it is a celebration of the values that unite European university sport," emphasized CUS Salerno President, Avv. Lorenzo Lentini. "CUS Salerno and FederCUSI, in close cooperation with EUSA, the University of Salerno, and ADISURC, have worked with passion and commitment to bring this project to life. The support of the Campania Region and the entire community around our university, together with local authorities, made this organizational challenge possible.
It also serves as a crucial rehearsal for the 2026 European Universities Games—an extraordinary opportunity to showcase the excellence of our sports facilities and our university to the world, furthering our institution's international visibility. At our University, sport and CUS Salerno have always played a pivotal role in promoting cultural exchange and building bridges between traditions, fostering that human and educational growth which is the essence of the university experience.
From 1 to 5 August, the Fisciano Campus will become a crossroads of European sporting and cultural excellence.”
"Europe is a beacon of values, culture, and universal messages," said Campania Region Vice President Hon. Fulvio Bonavitacola. "It must reaffirm its relevance in shaping the future. Sport is essential to this process. In Ancient Greece, torchbearers would halt wars to carry the Olympic flame; today, wars halt the flame. We must reverse that.
The universal values of sport—friendship and unity—are the path to building the Europe we want. Sport today is one of the few spaces left for dialogue and for building a truly human community, starting with Europe and beyond. A new generation of leaders is emerging from our universities, and if those institutions promote community, solidarity, and the universal values of sport, then we can look to that generation with hope.
Every major event is a magnet at all levels—directly and in terms of enhancing the overall reputation of a place. A territory must build its reputation, credibility, and authority. When we speak of Campania, we no longer want to be associated with negative stereotypes but with its beauty and excellence. Events like this one are essential to shaping that positive reputation."
Popular among young people for its inclusive and dynamic nature, this form of basketball, rooted in streetball, is one of the most exciting disciplines in the European university sports calendar. Characterized by fast-paced action, precise teamwork, and a strong community spirit, 3x3 basketball is both accessible and deeply connected to street culture.
Its growing popularity led to the creation of the European Universities 3x3 Basketball Championship, which in the 2023 edition—hosted by the University of Debrecen in Hungary—saw victories by Vasyl Stefanyk University (Ukraine, women’s division) and Vytautas Magnus University (Lithuania, men’s division).