THE National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) hopes to pick up from where it left off last year as it ushers its 101st season on Wednesday beginning with the centerpiece seniors basketball at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Teams which played in last year’s Final Four will have a rematch right away on opening day as defending men’s champion and host school Mapua University battles Lyceum of the Philippines University and College of St. Benilde clashes with San Beda University.
The Cardinals-Pirates tussle is set at 2:30 p.m. followed by the Blazers-Red Lions match at 5 p.m.
An elaborate opening ceremony starting at 12 noon precedes the doubleheader with performances to be provided by songstress Thea Astley, Hannah Precillas, Naya Ambi and Aicelle Santos.
Philippine Sports Commission chairman Patrick ‘Pato’ Gregorio will be the guest speaker when the country’s grand old collegiate league ushers its next 100 years.
‘Easy to recall, Season 101, and we’ll open on October 1. 10-1. So things like that. And with this year’s theme ‘Building Greatness,’ I’m sure for the past 100 years of NCAA, you’ve seen student-athletes rose to the elite level,’ Jose Rizal University athletic director Paul Supan said in Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.
‘So in the next 100 years, in coordination with the PSC and member schools, we hope to sustain our contribution to the national training pool.’
Emilio Aguinaldo College Vice President for Administration Dr. Lorenzo Lorenzo appeared with Supan in the session presented by San Miguel Corp., PSC, Philippine Olympic Committee, Milo, Smart/PLDT and the country’s 24/7 sports app ArenaPlus.
In line with the NCAA’s goal of providing the national training pool with potential members, Lorenzo said the collegiate league is introducing the Olympic sports of gymnastics, weightlifting, boxing and golf in this year’s calendar.
All four sports will initially be demonstration in nature to be played in the second semester.
‘The NCAA and PSC will form a partnership in terms of training and developing these grassroots athletes,’ Lorenzo said.
Supan said under NCAA rules, a demonstration sport that has been played for three straight seasons can be elevated to regular status subject to certain conditions.
Weightlifting (Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo) and gymnastics (Carlos Yulo) provided the three gold medals won by the country in the Olympics.
New format will also be adopted in basketball, whose games will be played in
The NCAA will stage the basketball games in its original home-the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
‘This is our home and most of us will acknowledge, this is where the NCAA started,’ said Supan, noting the juniors basketball that kicks off on Thursday will be played at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium between Mapua and Lyceum and St. Benilde and San Beda.
Other sports to be played at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex are taekwondo, swimming, lawn tennis and hopefully, football, while track and field will be staged at the PhilSports Complex in Pasig City.