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Berlin’s University Sport Infrastructure Steps Into the Spotlight With FISU Games and Campus Leagues

As the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games bring swimming, diving and volleyball to Berlin, university sport venues and cross-campus leagues are drawing attention to the city’s student-athlete facilities.

By Berlin Sport Desk · Published 20 July 2026

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Berlin’s University Sport Infrastructure Steps Into the Spotlight With FISU Games and Campus Leagues — AI illustration

Berlin is playing host to swimming, diving and volleyball events of the FISU World University Games, the Student Olympics, from July 16 to 27, 2025, as part of the broader Rhine-Ruhr 2025 multi-sport event. The competition is putting the city’s university sport facilities and infrastructure in the international spotlight, with events staged at venues across Berlin.

New leadership and major projects

Jens Tiedjen has taken up the post of Director of University Sports at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HU), where he oversees the university’s involvement in major projects, including the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU Games. His appointment signals a renewed focus on developing the sport infrastructure that supports both elite student athletes and the broader campus community.

Champions on campus and Olympic ties

HU Berlin’s men’s basketball team, recently crowned German University Champions, has been nominated for the Berliner Amateursport-Preis. Fans can vote for the team as part of the award process, highlighting the growing profile of university-level sport in the city. Beyond team sports, two HU students, ice skaters Minerva Hase and Nikita Volodin, along with figure skater Lea Sophie Scholz, competed at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan and Cortina, demonstrating that Berlin’s university sport system can develop athletes who reach the highest international stage.

Cross-university leagues as infrastructure

Berlin University Leagues provide a structured competition framework for major ball sports, including soccer and beach volleyball, open to students and staff from multiple institutions: Freie Universität Berlin (FU), Technische Universität Berlin (TU), Humboldt-Universität, Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin (HTW) and Beuth Hochschule für Technik Berlin. The leagues effectively use existing campus venues and outdoor courts as a shared sport infrastructure, fostering regular inter-university rivalry without requiring dedicated new facilities.

The concentration of competitive sport infrastructure across Berlin’s universities, from the pools and halls used for FISU events to the beach volleyball courts and basketball gyms hosting league matches, means that student athletes have access to a network of venues that support training and competition year-round. The FISU Games have also drawn attention to the quality and capacity of these facilities, with international delegations using them for the Student Olympics.

What’s next for university sport in Berlin

With the FISU World University Games concluding on July 27, the focus will shift to maintaining the momentum. The Berlin University Leagues will continue their regular seasons after the Games, students can vote now for HU’s basketball team in the Amateursport-Preis, and the success of athletes like Hase, Volodin and Scholz at the 2026 Winter Olympics provides a lasting benchmark. For students and staff at FU, TU, HU, HTW and Beuth, the cross-university leagues remain the most accessible way to compete in soccer and beach volleyball, using facilities that have now proved themselves on an international stage.