THE PBA is set to say goodbye to one of its most storied and colorful franchises.
In a shock announcement yesterday morning, team owner Fred Uytengsu said the ongoing Governors Cup would be the Aces’ last in the pro league, where they won 14 titles and made 31 finals appearances since joining up in 1986.
“All good things come to an end, and at the end of the season it will be our 35th and final season in the PBA,” Uytengsu said in an online media conference, adding the move is in line with Alaska’s parent company’s move to implement an organizational transformation that ensures long-term business sustainability.
“We thought long and hard before making this final decision,” added Uytengsu. “However, we believe that this will allow us to focus our resources on providing affordable nutrition for Filipino families.”
Uytengsu, who was 24 when he organized the Alaska franchise, expressed his gratitude to all involved in the organization, as well as the PBA.
“The Aces franchise will always be very special to me. I learned so much about team dynamics and building championship teams from the players and coaching staff,” he said.
“We take great pride in our participation and success all these years and know we won with integrity. I also want to thank the PBA for our many years of partnership and wish the league continued success in the years to come,” he added.
In an equally emotional online meeting with the team, Uytengsu assured that all the personnel, from the players and coaches to the staff, “will be taken care of as they transition into a new chapter in their careers.”
According to Uytengsu, selling the franchise to another company is a possibility, although he added “there are no immediate buyers at this point in time.”
PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial said a special board meeting will be convened “soon” to discuss Alaska’s sudden exit.
From there, the governors themselves could help in the search for a new buyer for Alaska and, if there is none to be found, could put the players in a dispersal draft from which the 11 remaining teams could pick.
“If there is not a buyer at that time, the franchise will revert to the PBA and pursuant to the by-laws of the PBA, then the players will go into a dispersal draft,” said Uytengsu.
Currently, the Aces have a 3-2 win-loss record in the Governors’ Cup with Uytengsu saying the team vowed to do all it can to at least make the playoffs.
Over the course of the franchise’s 35 seasons in the PBA, it was known as the Milkmen, Hills Bros. Coffee Kings, and the Air Force, before switching to their current name in 2000.
Alaska’s number of championships is second only to founding member San Miguel Beer’s 27. It also recorded a rare Grand Slam in the 1996 season and could have had a second two years later but had to loan its top players to the Centennial team that saw action in the Bangkok Asian Games.
Uytengsu said there are so many unforgettable moments for him during the franchise’s PBA stint, including the 2016 Philippine Cup finals when the Aces became the first team to blow a 3-0 lead in a best-of-seven finals against SMB’s “Beer-acle.”
The Aces’ last PBA championship came in the 2013 Commissioner’s Cup, when they swept Ginebra in the finals, but they have not been to any championship games since the 2018 Governors Cup when they bowed to Magnolia.
