ON one side of Katipunan, University of the Philippines is hoping the third time will be a charm after losing in the Big Dance for two straight seasons.
It’s simpler for the Ateneo Blue Eagles, the Fighting Maroons’ rival. All the Eagles need to do is to prove to armchair pundits that they can still hack it despite the fact that they are not the favorites in a long while.
Which team’s initial goal will be realized will be known when they clash on Saturday in a match kicking off action in the 87th UAAP basketball tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The game is set for 6:30 p.m. after an expected glamorous opening ceremony top billed by the reunion concert of iconic OPM band Eraserheads at 11 a.m.
The league has also officially approved a revised rule on eligibility for student-athletes transferring from one member school to another at the collegiate level.
This development was announced by UAAP executive director Atty. Rebo Saguisag and the league’s Board of Managing Directors last Wednesday.
Under the new regulation, student-athletes who transfer between UAAP member schools will still be required to sit out one year, as before. However, the revised rule will now deduct two years from their eligibility.
The new rule will be effective starting the 2024-2025 school year and will be applicable across all collegiate sports.
“The UAAP, as a collegial body, decided that any transfer made after the academic year 2023-2024 will not only incur the usual residency requirement but will now be charged with an additional eligibility year, making it a total of two years,” Saguisag said. “In simpler terms, the residency period will remain the same but only the playing years of the transferee will be affected.”
This change means that a UAAP freshman who transfers to a different member school will have only two remaining playing years at his new university while a sophomore will only have a year remaining to play for his or her new school if he or she decides to transfer.
The Maroons failed to retain their 84th season crown and fell to the Eagles in the 85th season while the squad lost last season to La Salle–both in winner-take-all Game 3s.
JD Cagulangan, Janjan Felicilda, Terrence Fortea, Gerry Abadiano, Reyland Torres, and Harold Alarcon will be counted upon by UP coach Goldwin Monteverde to deliver.
Amid talks of being a candidate for the New Zealand coaching job that he dismissed, Ateneo tactician Tab Baldwin will lean on prized rookie Jared Bahay and holdovers Chris Koon and Sean Quitevis.
