
It’s January, February, and March madness!
The long-running franchise that is One Piece has dominated manga, anime, video games, card games, live action TV, and Times Square. Recently, it’s even had its sights set on many of the USA’s biggest sports, with the most recent being NCAA basketball, which is getting the One Piece treatment at not just one but 15 games between January and March 2026.
One Piece College Basketball: US Voyage will bring fun activities and limited-edition merch to teams and schools from coast to coast, starting with Rutgers University in New Jersey and Gozanga University in Washington, from late January to early February. It can also be experienced at St. John’s University in New York throughout February. The latter half of February and early March will see events take place at the University of Houston in Texas and the University of Illinois. A full schedule can be found at the end of this article.
Three One Piece-themed games will be held at each venue, and one of those three will feature a special halftime show. Attendees at those games will be treated to a special performance of the theme song “We are!” by the schools’ marching bands and cheerleading squads, while limited-edition T-shirts will be launched into the stands. And speaking of T-shirts, students of the participating schools who attend games will receive free T-shirts featuring Luffy and their school’s logo.
All spectators will receive a similar image of Luffy flexing his stuff by a team logo for each school in the form of a poster given away for free.
Not only that, but they’ll also receive a very limited One Piece College Basketball: US Voyage card for the One Piece Card Game.
Much like in past sports collaborations, the venues will be decked out in One Piece displays to give them a whole new look. Also, before the Rutgers game on 23 January and during a timeout of the St. John’s game on 6 February, a video shout-out by cast members of the live-action One Piece series will be shown.
▼ I wonder if my fellow Guinness Record holders Emily Rudd and Mackenyu Maeda will be a part of the video.
Now, with NCAA basketball another notch in One Piece’s scabbard, its conquering of American sports is nearly complete. We’ll be sure to let you know when it eventually reaches the shores of NHL, FIFA, and International Sports Onigoko Federation games.
Game Schedule
Friday, 23 January
Rutgers University vs Indiana University (with special halftime show)
Saturday, 24 January
Goznga University vs University of San Francisco
Tuesday, 27 January
Rutgers University vs Michigan State University
Saturday, 31 January
Gozanga University vs Saint Mary’s College of California (with special halftime show)
Friday, 6 February
St. John’s University vs University of Connecticut (with special show)
Saturday, 7 February
Rutgers University vs University of Nebraska
Monday, 9 February
St. John’s University vs Xavier University
Tuesday, 10 February
Gozanga University vs Washington State University
Saturday, 14 February
University of Houston vs Kansas State University (with special halftime show)
Sunday, 15 February
University of Illinois vs Indiana University
Saturday, 21 February
University of Houston vs University of Arizona
Friday, 27 February
University of Illinois vs University of Michigan (with special halftime show)
Saturday, 28 February
St. John’s University vs Villanova University
Tuesday, 3 March
University of Illinois vs University of Oregon
Wednesday, 4 March
University of Houston vs Baylor University
Related: One Piece College Basketball: US Voyage
Images: ©Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha, ©Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha, Toei Animation, ©Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc., ©SoraNews24
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!





One Piece teams up with the Los Angeles Lakers for pirate anime/pro basketball crossover
Japanese onsen egg maker from 100-yen store Daiso needs to be on your shopping list
Cherry blossoms begin blooming in Japan with record-early starts for sakura season
Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
Japanese government says country needs more women’s room toilets to meet modern society’s needs
Umamusume food and drinks dash into real world at Family Mart convenience stores[Taste test]
We asked our Japanese team of writers how they deal with seasonal allergies in Japan
Are Japanese convenience store sandwiches scamming us with their fillings?
Does this egg timer from Japanese 100-yen store Daiso really work?
Criminals of Japan’s Edo Period Were Often Punished by Getting Face Tattoos
Old postcards reveal famous Japanese tourist spots as they appeared 100 years ago
Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli releases Catbus pullback keychain that runs like the anime character
Studio Ghibli adds new Mother’s Day gift sets to its anime collection in Japan
Virtual idol Hatsune Miku redesigned with look that adds new elements and brings back old ones
The next time you’re feeling stressed out, you could relax on a Pokémon Psyduck chair from Japan
Komachi Shokudo: Japanese mum’s-style cooking for breakfast, lunch and dinner in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan opens new cafe and art gallery in top Tokyo tourist neighbourhood
The top 10 graduation songs in Japan as chosen by current Japanese high school students
7-Eleven Japan’s giant fried chicken skewer would be too big to eat, so it’s really for cuddling
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura cherry blossom collection for hanami season 2026
The 10 most annoying things foreign tourists do on Japanese trains, according to locals
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Nine great places to see spring flowers in Japan, as chosen by travelers (with almost no sakura)
Naruto and Converse team up for new line of shinobi sneakers[Photos]
Starbucks Japan releases first-ever Hinamatsuri Girls’ Day Frappuccino
Japan’s cherry blossom season predicted to start earlier than we’d thought, especially in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases a new Cream Puff Frappuccino for a limited time
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says