The PBA has graciously accepted the UAAP’s denial of its appeal to allow graduating players to apply for the Season 50 Draft set next weekend.
Commissioner Willie Marcial remained thankful to the league’s Executive Director Rebo Saguisag and its Board of Managing Directors for discussing their request made in a bid to lure in more talent for its annual proceedings.
“Naiintindihan namin ang kanilang naging desisyon,” he told Tiebreaker Times, Wednesday.
“Nagpapasalamat pa rin kami sa kanilang oras.”
The PBA was hoping for the country’s most prestigious collegiate league to reconsider its strictly enforced rule of prohibiting student-athletes from joining professional league drafts — a rule that’s been in place since 2013.
Such a decision was made shortly after Season 76, when a number of men’s basketball players declared for the PBA Draft during the season.
Years later and the UAAP holds firm in its stance, saying that the league cannot make a decision solely on basketball as the rule applies to all sports.
It’s precisely the reason why National University standout Alyssa Solomon wasn’t allowed to join the 2025 Korean V-League Asian Quota Draft.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
“When we make that decision, it’s not per sport or per division. It’s for the whole sporting program of all events. So may implication siya, hindi siya basta-basta,” Saguisag said during the UAAP Season 88 opening presser on Wednesday.
“We have to politely decline at least for this season na hindi namin mapagbibigyan yung request na magpa-draft yung players in the midst, or actually even before the basketball season begins,” he added.
The UAAP also said that such a matter would require more time for the Board to discuss, as the PBA sent its letter mere weeks before the Draft.
“This is a policy issue that has an effect on other sports. So once we decide something about this request, it has an effect on other sports,” said UAAP Season 88 president and UST IPEA director Rev. Fr. Rodel Cansancio, O.P.
“Kaya we need time. Kasi medyo short lang din ‘yung time na binigay sa amin. We need time to discuss more about this proposal moving forward,” he added.
The request has already been forwarded by the UAAP BMD to the Sports and Eligibility Committee for further review and to propose potential amendments for future seasons, which keeps Marcial optimistic for future drafts.
For now, the PBA is focusing on its upcoming Draft, where around 30 aspirants have already declared themselves eligible led by Juan Gomez de Liano, Dalph Panopio, Jason Brickman,and L-Jay Gonzales, to name some.
The PBA Season 50 Draft is scheduled on September 7 at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall in Pasay. The two-day Draft Combine, meanwhile, will be held on September 4-5 at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.
