NCAA’s 101st season will open with a bang as last year’s Final Four teams clash in a double-header to raise the curtain on the league’s new century.
Jose Rizal University athletic director and NCAA Management Committee member Paul Supan said the league wanted to start strong by pitting its best right away.
‘We have the top four teams on the first day and we already have a salvo between all of them,’ he said during the Philippine Sportswriters’ Association’s weekly forum on Tuesday.
After the opening festivities at 12 noon, host school and defending champion Mapua battles Lyceum at 2:30 p.m. at Araneta Coliseum.
The Cardinals and Pirates last met in Season 100’s semifinals, where Mapua prevailed behind Finals MVP Clint Escamis, who erupted for a career-high 33 points in their 89-79 win.
The second game will feature another semifinal rematch, with College of St. Benilde colliding with San Beda. Like Mapua, the Blazers also advanced by ousting the Red Lions in the Final Four.
Beyond basketball, Supan highlighted the NCAA’s broader role in shaping Philippine sports across generations.
‘I’m sure for the past 100 years of the NCAA, we’ve seen athletes from the member schools rise to the elite level,’ he said. ‘For the next 100 years, with the help of the PSC and all the member schools, we hope that we can sustain our contribution to the national training pool,’ he added.
The NCAA kicks off Season 101 on October 1 at Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.