The UAAP esports season will culminate in the league’s first-ever eFIBA x UAAP eGilas Talent Discovery Tournament presented by SBP, adding a new dimension to this year’s collegiate esports calendar.
Aside from serving as the season’s console sports simulation tournament, the competition will also serve as a talent identification platform for the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas as it looks to build its pool of players for eGilas.
“We’re glad that the UAAP continues to help us build our national teams, even in the esports realm. We know that player turnover in esports can be very high, with players constantly evolving and new talents emerging. Having a pool of talented student-athletes competing at a high level in the UAAP gives us a valuable foundation to identify players who can represent the country in future eFIBA tournaments,” said SBP executive director Erika Dy.
“More than just finding the best players, this is also about creating a sustainable pathway for student-athletes who want to take their skills to the international stage. We’re excited to see how these student-athletes perform, and we hope this initiative will strengthen our talent identification program and help ensure that eGilas remains competitive on the world stage.”
Unlike previous NBA 2K tournaments, where student-athletes selected their favorite NBA teams and competed in one-on-one matchups, this year’s competition will feature the 5v5 Pro-Am game mode using NBA 2K27.
For eGilas program director Ryan Gregorio, the format aligns with international eFIBA standards and provides an opportunity to develop players who can represent the country on the global stage as the Philippines are the defending world champion after winning the eFIBA Season 4 World Finals last July.
“We have to build a healthy esports community, including in NBA 2K, and the UAAP provides us with an excellent platform to do that. Our model for youth 3×3 basketball is to identify elite student-athletes through tournaments like UAAP 3×3, bring them together for the FIBA 3×3 Nations League, and develop them into national team players. That approach has already produced two teams that competed in the FIBA 3×3 Under-23 World Cup. We’re hoping to replicate that success in eFIBA,” said Gregorio, who is also the federation’s 3×3 program director.
National University will gun for an esports event sweep after ruling the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang tournament last August and the VALORANT competition last September.
The Bulldogs are bracketed with the University of Santo Tomas Teletigers, whom they will face at 10:30 a.m.on Sunday, and the Far Eastern University Tamaraws at 4:30 p.m. They will wrap up their preliminary-round campaign against the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons at 10:30 a.m. on Monday.
Defending two-time NBA 2K champions Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles, meanwhile, will open their campaign against archrivals De La Salle University Green Aces at noon also on Sunday.
The Blue Eagles will then play a doubleheader on Monday, taking on the University of the East Red Warriors at noon before facing the Adamson University Soaring Falcons at 3 p.m.
The top two teams from each pool will advance to the crossover best-of-three semifinals on Tuesday, with the best-of-three grand finals to follow.
All games will be held at MVP Studios along Reliance Street in Mandaluyong City.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
UAAP executive director Atty. Rebo Saguisag sees the tournament as a reflection of how basketball continues to evolve beyond the traditional court.
“Sports continue to evolve, and basketball is no exception. With the growth of esports, we are seeing new ways for people to engage with the game and for our student-athletes to showcase their skills. We have to embrace these changes and recognize the opportunities they bring, especially in creating new pathways for our young athletes to represent the country on the international stage,” Saguisag said.
