Underdogs Basketball and NorCal Rush Merge to Form Bay Area’s Premier Youth Basketball Club
San Francisco, CA — December 8th, 2025
Underdogs Basketball and NorCal Rush are excited to announce a merger that unites two regional leaders in youth basketball into the only club now serving the East Bay, San Francisco, and the Peninsula. This merger creates a single organization with unmatched reach and resources, building on each club’s strengths to serve more players, families, and communities.
Both organizations share a deep commitment to player development, community impact, and accessible, high-quality basketball for youth. NorCal Rush was founded in 2017 by Zac Levine starting with just one team and has grown to 300+ players, 20+ teams, and 10+ staff member and is dedicated to producing high caliber players while continuing to make basketball a fun & memorable experience.
Underdogs Basketball, co-founded by Doug Marschke and Tom Marx, has built a reputation for creating a family-oriented, development-first model that empowers athletes both on and off the court. Through partnerships with Underdogs Restaurants, the club also brings unique access to corporate sponsors and community events, further strengthening its ability to support youth players.
Zac Levine commented: “I’ve long believed that working with great people is absolutely necessary to the success of a youth basketball organization. Merging with Underdogs Basketball is an incredible opportunity for us to add great people to our community, because at the end of the day, the people make NorCal Rush what it has become.”
Tom Marx added: “This merger is about combining strengths to serve the full Bay Area, from the East Bay to San Francisco to the Peninsula, and expanding our footprint. We are committed to giving families and players more team options, more gym access, stronger coaching, and a unified program that’s built to grow. And we’re already exploring additional club partnerships in our effort to build the region’s most comprehensive youth basketball ecosystem.”
With this merger, the new organization will offer expanded facilities, shared coaching resources, larger roster options, enhanced tournament exposure, and a stronger community network, all while staying true to the core values of development, teamwork, and community.
