The National Collegiate Athletic Association of the Philippines (NCAA) is contemplating a significant calendar shift for its centennial season, particularly concerning the seniors’ basketball tournament.
The Management Committee of the Grand Old League is currently in deliberation regarding the potential move to conduct the seniors’ basketball tournament in the second semester.
This consideration arises from various factors, as indicated by multiple sources closely monitoring the situation.
Firstly, the NCAA has struggled to adjust its calendar since expanding its membership to 10 schools 15 years ago.
This has led to triple-headers during the league’s tenure at ABS-CBN Sports+Action and later, a five-gamedays-a-week schedule at GTV.
Despite starting the season in September, the tournament concludes just days before the Christmas season, providing student-athletes with only short breaks for the holidays before returning to school.
Secondly, the aim is to establish a more “unified” collegiate basketball season.
Currently, the UAAP also conducts its collegiate basketball tournament in the first semester.
If the NCAA moves its tournament after the UAAP tournament, it would offer the audience the opportunity to enjoy amateur basketball for nine consecutive months.
This potential shift may also pave the way for the juniors’ basketball tournament to move to the first semester, incorporating a double round-robin schedule.
The league’s Management Committee is also deliberating on how this calendar adjustment will impact its other sporting events.
