After helping grow the league over the past 96 years, the National Collegiate Athletic Association is planning to give a helping hand to its members in need.
With an estimated 5,175 member family — which includes student-athletes, coaches, and league officials — the Grand Old League shared that it will support 50-percent of them both financially and in academics.
“Upon our survey, there are about fifty-percent displaced players, coaches, and officials, and that includes the referees in all events, securities, table officials, and others na involved sa NCAA,” said NCAA Season 96 Management Committee chairman Fr. Vic Calvo OP said during the weekly PSA Forum, powered by Smart and presented by San Miguel Corp., Go For Gold, Amelie Hotel, Braska Restaurant, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).
“We’re sure to help our players, coaches, and officials na kasama natin sa NCAA. We know na pagdating sa budget ng schools, we depend sa enrollment, so a few also means few income and limited budget distributed, and ‘pag nabawasan, ang unang victim is sports.”
Schools like Letran, Perpetual Help, Lyceum, and Saint Benilde have been hit hard by the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Some slashed their budget for athletics in order to make way for turning digital in their classes; on the other had, some completely cut the athletics’ fees entirely since there will be no physical attendance for the students.
Besides this, Season 95 chairman Peter Cayco also revealed that the league will relax its age eligibility for student-athletes who have not completed their events.
“I endorsed loosening up the eligibility requirements for Season 96, and it was approved by the Policy Board,” said Cayco.
“Athletes who would’ve played their final years in Season 95, but their tournaments did not get off the ground, will be allowed to participate for one more year. Same ‘yun sa mga events na ‘di nalaro or have not yet started, plus one year sila.”
Some of the volleyball players affected were San Beda’s Viray twins, Letran’s Charm Simborio, Perpetual’s Bianca Tripoli, and Arellano’s Regine Arocha.
Other events there were either stopped or cancelled were football, lawn tennis, soft tennis, track and field, under-15 basketball, and beach volleyball, as well as the cheerdance competition.
