The Alumni Basketball League is a novel venture where the teams are all former college basketball players from a given school. Co-founders Kareem Rush and Jake Jackson sought to reestablish traditional rivalries and provide fans with the nostalgia of watching former college players while also empowering players to achieve success at home.
“Only a few college kids end up going pro. Most of the guys that played high-level college basketball ended up having careers overseas. Fans, who followed them during their college careers, lose track of them. To come back from overseas and play in front of your college fans is enticing for players.”
– ABL Co-Founder Kareem Rush, via the Baltimore Sun
The idea for the ABL began in 2018 when Rush, a former Missouri Tiger, and NBA player, organized a game between alumni from Kansas and Missouri. The contest drew over 2,500 fans to the arena. Rush’s brainchild was shelved for two years due to the coronavirus pandemic, but he is now starting to execute his vision.
The league’s first game will take place in the Washington, D.C. area with the hope that numerous alumni teams will be playing in 2023. Maryland’s ABL team is called the College Park Boys. The roster was released recently, and it features a number of recognizable names from the last 20 years of Maryland Basketball.