Chinese University Basketball Association or CUBA, was founded in 1996 and the league was launched in 1998. It is the most competitive and popular college basketball competition in China. This event is held annually and divided into the preliminary stage and the final stage, in which the national championship team is decided through a bracket style elimination event.
Unlike other Chinese athletic organizations, CUBA is a privately funded organization with no affiliation with the Chinese government. Similar to that of the NCAA, the rules of CUBA grant eligibility only to amateur players. CUBA was originally intended to mirror the NCAA Men's Basketball.
The league is divided into 4 divisions, based on the geography of the teams. The top two teams in each division qualify for the CUBA Big 8(Quarter-finals).