The PG Flex-Universities and Colleges Athletic League Season 8 officially opens on Oct. 9 at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City, promising another season of intense and dramatic action, now with two new events.
In an effort to make the league even more vibrant, host Centro Escolar University and eight other member schools have added table tennis and badminton to this season’s calendar.
These two sports will debut in the second semester, joining the league’s centerpiece events: basketball, volleyball, street dance, and esports.
Street dance will kick off the festivities on Thursday, with CEU eager to defend its crown.
Volleyball matches are set to begin next week at the University of Batangas.
Horacio Lim, chairman of the league’s Board of Trustees, highlighted the league’s steady growth over the years.
“I’d like to say that UCAL is a developmental league. We feel that we are catching up (with other leagues), and we are proud to develop players even if they are being recruited to other more known leagues,” Lim said during the press conference on Monday, Oct. 6, at Patio de Manila.
The event was also attended by PG Flex owner Nelson Guevarra and the UCAL management team, led by Col. Bong Nebrija, Bernard Yang, and Carmelo Navarro.
Representatives from the league’s sponsors—including Smart Sports, Spalding, Hapee Toothpaste, Mighty Bond, Akari, Quintana Sports, Vital Purified Drinking Water, Topflite, Crane and Maruyama, CafeFrance, and RC1 Lubricating Spray—were also present.
With the theme “Rising to New Heights,” Lim revealed that two additional schools are expressing interest in joining the league.
CEU President Atty. Danilo Concepcion expressed excitement for the upcoming season, noting that all teams have solidified their rosters.
“We at CEU are excited as we prepare to host the season. It marks not only the beginning of a new chapter, but also a celebration of youthful talent, teamwork, and the enduring values of fair play and camaraderie,” he said.
Former Senator and Diliman College President Nikki Coseteng also attended the event. Diliman hosted the league last season.
Aside from CEU, the other member schools include Diliman College, Immaculada Concepcion College, Lyceum of the Philippines-Batangas, Manila Central University, Olivarez College, Philippine Christian University-Dasmariñas, Philippine Women’s University, and University of Batangas.
