Salerno, the Capital of European Universities 3×3 Basketball Championship 2025

The European Universities 3×3 Basketball Championship 2025 have been officially presented and are scheduled to take place at the University of Salerno from August 1st to 5th.

Student-athletes from 33 universities across Europe gather at the Fisciano Campus in the name of peace

Salerno, July 28, 2025 – Thirty-three universities involved, 44 European teams from 17 nations, 250 athletes and coaches, and over 130 official matches to be held at the University of Salerno’s Fisciano Campus sports facilities. These are the figures for the European Universities 3×3 Basketball Championship 2025 – one of the most exciting events on the European university sports calendar – which also serve as a prelude to the EUG Salerno 2026: the European Universities Games that will bring 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 backing from FederCUSI and FISU, the event was officially presented this morning at the University of Salerno by the Rector Prof. Vincenzo Loia, the President of CUS Salerno, Lawyer Lorenzo Lentini, and the President of EUSA, Adam Roczek, in the presence of the Vice President of the Campania Region, Hon. Fulvio Bonavitacola.

During the press conference, a rich program of side events – cultural and entertainment initiatives – was also announced, designed to encourage intercultural exchange between athletes and the local community while promoting the heritage of the Salerno area. The European Universities 3×3 Basketball Championship 2025 will be an opportunity to showcase the beauty of Salerno Province and highlight local specialties that are a genuine added value for the region.

The opening ceremony, which will also include three individual competitions (Men’s Shoot Out, Women’s Shoot Out, and Men’s Dunk Contest), will take place on Friday, August 1st, in the Aula Magna, providing a stunning backdrop for the team parade where delegations will proudly wave their national flags, creating an authentic atmosphere of international unity.

Opening the conference, the Rector of the University of Salerno, Prof. Vincenzo Loia, stated:

“UNISA is ready to show how it builds community through the values of sport. The many facilities across our Fisciano and Baronissi campuses, along with the wide range of disciplines offered to students and the local population, are a clear sign that sport has always played a key role in our university environment. It is a direct link to the personal growth and education of our students.

Sport is sacrifice, responsibility, and respect for others. Above all, sport for us means connection. Our university, structured like a ‘small city’ with two main campuses offering all services and facilities, has community and socialization deeply rooted in its DNA.”

Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Romania, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine, and Hungary are the participating nations in this event, promoted by FISU and the Italian University Sports Federation under the patronage of the European University Sports Association (EUSA), and coordinated for this Italian edition by CUS Salerno. As the official sports centre of the University of Salerno, CUS Salerno is one of the leading institutions in university sports and plays a key role in promoting physical activity among students and university staff.

“It is a great pleasure for me to greet you on behalf of the European University Sports Association on this very special day,” said Adam Roczek, President of EUSA. “Today we start the countdown: less than 365 days remain until the opening ceremony of the European Universities Games to be held in Salerno in 2026. The University of Salerno, CUS Salerno, FederCUSI, and EUSA’s local partners are working hard to make this an unforgettable event for the over 4,000 student-athletes who will arrive in Italy next year. But university sport is more than just competition: it’s friendship, joy, and building bridges between nations and people. I look forward to seeing you again in Salerno next year. Remember, passion never ends!”

The European Universities 3×3 Basketball Championship is a biennial tournament that became part of university sports after evolving from streetball into a global phenomenon. For Salerno, it serves as a prelude to the 2026 European Universities Games (EUG), which will be hosted at the Fisciano and Baronissi Campuses with a packed schedule of sporting events. Salerno won the bid to host the Games in April 2022.

“The Salerno edition of the European Universities 3×3 Basketball Championship is much more than a sports competition – it’s a celebration of the values that unite European university sport,” emphasized CUS Salerno President, Lawyer Lorenzo Lentini. “CUS Salerno and FederCUSI, in close collaboration with EUSA, the University of Salerno, and ADISURC, have worked with dedication and passion to make this project a reality. The support of the Campania Region and all local institutions has made this organizational challenge possible. It also represents a vital testing ground in preparation for the 2026 European Universities Games, a unique opportunity to showcase the excellence of the University of Salerno’s sports facilities and help internationalize our university. At our university, sport and CUS Salerno have always played a central role as catalysts for cultural exchange and dialogue, fostering the human and educational growth that defines the university experience. From August 1st to 5th, the Fisciano Campus will become a crossroads of European sporting and cultural excellence.”

“Europe is a beacon of values, culture, and universal messages,” said Hon. Fulvio Bonavitacola, Vice President of the Campania Region. “It must reaffirm its great relevance in this new world we face. Sport is essential to this process. In ancient Greece, torchbearers would stop wars to carry the Olympic flame; now wars stop the flame. We’ve regressed. The universal values of sport, like friendship, are the cornerstone of building the Europe we aspire to. Sport remains one of the few arenas for dialogue and building a human community—first in Europe, but not only.
We live in a world that sometimes seems to move backward. If the new leadership class emerging from our universities embraces a sense of community, universality, and solidarity inspired by the values of sport, it will be a leadership we can trust.
Every major event helps attract attention on multiple levels and contributes to a region’s reputation. A region needs credibility and prestige. That’s how, when people speak of Campania, they’ll no longer think of negative clichés, but of the beauty it offers. Events like this help build that positive reputation.”

Popular among young people for its inclusive nature, this basketball variation – inspired by streetball – is one of the most exciting disciplines in the European university sports calendar. Characterized by its fast pace, quick actions, precise passing, and intense teamwork, this sport is both accessible and inclusive, closely tied to street culture.

This popularity led to the creation of the European Universities 3×3 Basketball Championship. In its last edition in 2023, held at the University of Debrecen in Hungary, the winners were Vasyl Stefanyk University (Ukraine) for the women’s tournament and Vytautas Magnus University (Lithuania) for the men’s tournament.

Press Area Link: Press Folder

Press Accreditation Info:
Requests must be sent by 4:00 PM on Tuesday, July 29, 2025, to comunicazione@unisa.it, specifying the applicant’s name, media outlet, email address, phone number, and journalist ID number.

EUC 3X3 SALERNO_SEC AND PARTNERS COMMUNICATION

PR Contact:
Chiara Caliceti – chiara.caliceti@secnewgate.it – +39 334 6933176

Press Office Contacts:
Martina Trecca – martina.trecca@secnewgate.it – +39 334 1019671
Margherita Brighenti – margherita.brighenti@secnewgate.it – +39 347 0056083
Paola Vellami – paola.vellami@secnewgate.it

Local Press Contacts:
Mario Amodio – marioamodiomail@gmail.com – +39 392 8680635
Barbara Landi – barbara.landi3@gmail.com – +39 346 7917530