DALLAS (January 9, 2026) – Japan’s globally celebrated and beloved franchise ONE PIECE today announced “ONE PIECE College Basketball: US Voyage,” the brand’s first-ever collaboration with US college basketball teams through a new multi-school agreement with Learfield, the media and technology company powering college athletics.
As part of the “US Voyage” campaign, ONE PIECE will join forces with five powerhouse men’s basketball programs for the 2025-26’ season — the Gonzaga Bulldogs, Houston Cougars, Illinois Fighting Illini, Rutgers Scarlet Knights and St. John’s Red Storm — to bring the Straw Hat Crew into the heart of college basketball.
Between January and March, ONE PIECE will activate across the five campuses during three nationally televised games at each school, with a presence at marquee games, including:
- Rutgers
- January 23 vs. Indiana University — ONE PIECE Halftime Show
- January 27 vs. Michigan State University
- February 7 vs. University of Nebraska
- Gonzaga
- January 24 vs. University of San Francisco
- January 31 vs. Saint Mary’s College — ONE PIECE Halftime Show
- February 10 vs. Washington State University
- Johns
- February 6 vs. University of Connecticut — ONE PIECE Special Show
- February 9 vs. Xavier University
- February 28 vs. Villanova University
- Houston
- February 14 vs. Kansas State University — ONE PIECE Halftime Show
- February 21 vs. University of Arizona
- March 4 vs. Baylor University
- Illinois
- February 15 vs. Indiana University
- February 27 vs. University of Michigan — ONE PIECE Halftime Show
- March 3 vs. the University of Oregon
Across 15 official collegiate basketball games, fans will get to experience special ONE PIECE-themed activations. Each game will feature the excitements from the world of ONE PIECE through pre-game screenings of a new promotional video and arena-wide displays. Attendees will receive an exclusive, limited-edition poster co-created with each college, along with a unique ONE PIECE card from the official ONE PIECE CARD GAME produced to commemorate the collaboration.
Each college will host a special ONE PIECE Halftime Show during one of the three games, providing an energetic and engaging experience for local fans. Highlights include a limited-edition T-shirt toss and a performance of “We Are!” by the colleges’ marching band and cheer team, arranged exclusively for the collaboration. Please refer to each college’s game schedule for more information.
*St. John’s University will present a ONE PIECE show during timeout.
“This marks a groundbreaking moment for ONE PIECE’s expansion into college sports,” said Shawn Hegan, Executive Vice President of Global Partnerships at Learfield. “We’re thrilled to help bring the brand’s ‘College Basketball: US Voyage’ to the largest fanbase in sports and deliver an authentic, cultural crossover experience for millions of passionate college basketball fans.”
Additionally, ONE PIECE will have national intellectual property rights to use official school logos and marks, in-venue and TV-visible signage, and digital media opportunities to amplify ONE PIECE messaging to college sports fans.
About ONE PIECE
ONE PIECE, created by Eiichiro Oda, began serialization in “Weekly Shonen Jump,” issue 34, 1997 (Shueisha), released on July 22nd, 1997. Still going strong, it celebrated its 25th anniversary in July 2022. The cumulative worldwide print circulation of the manga exceeded 510 million copies as of August 2022, and it is published in over 60 countries and regions worldwide. The anime produced by Toei Animation began airing in Japan in 1999 and celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2024. The series will enter a new arc, the “Elbaph” Arc, starting in April 2026. Netflix’s live-action adaptation of ONE PIECE debuted in 2023, becoming a global phenomenon, spending eight weeks on the Global Top 10, reaching #1 in over 75 countries and making history as the first Netflix English-language series to debut at #1 in Japan. The show has nearly 100M views and is one of Netflix’s most downloaded shows of all time. ONE PIECE returns for its highly anticipated second season on March 10, 2026, and has been renewed for Season 3. The show is created in partnership with Shueisha and is produced by Tomorrow Studios (an ITV Studios partner) and Netflix. The franchise continues to expand through a wide range of media, including films, games, and merchandise.
About Learfield
Learfield is the leading media and technology company powering college athletics. Through its digital and physical platforms, Learfield owns and leverages a deep data set and relationships in the industry to drive revenue, growth, brand awareness, and fan engagement for brands, sports, and entertainment properties. With ties to over 1,200 collegiate institutions and over 12,000 local and national brand partners, Learfield’s presence in college sports and live events delivers influence and maximizes reach to target audiences. With solutions for a 365-day, 24/7 fan experience, Learfield enables schools and brands to connect with fans through licensed merchandise, game ticketing, donor identification for athletic programs, exclusive custom content, innovative marketing initiatives, NIL solutions, and advanced digital platforms. Since 2008, it has served as title sponsor for the acclaimed Learfield Directors’ Cup, supporting athletic departments across all divisions.