San Beda University to host the NCAA's 102nd basketball season

Cultures · Published 12 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Despite recent speculation regarding a potential move to a different league, San Beda University has confirmed it will host the National Collegiate Athletic Association's 102nd season. This upcoming academic year's tournament features a high-stakes format designed to reward top seeds while maintaining intense competition through a play-in round.

The 102nd season of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (Philippines) will take place during the 2026–27 academic year. San Beda University will host the event, with the season's inaugural ceremonies set for 13 September 2026 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. This follows a period of uncertainty where speculation suggested the university might transfer its teams to the University Athletic Association of the Philippines.

The tournament structure for this season continues the format introduced in Season 101. A significant mechanic is the play-in round involving the two lowest-ranked teams, where the fourth-seeded team receives a twice-to-beat advantage. Additionally, the top two teams in each group also benefit from a twice-to-beat advantage, meaning they must be defeated twice to be eliminated, whereas their opponents only need to win once.

Rico Quicho has been reappointed as basketball commissioner, continuing his efforts to implement the FIBA rulebook within the league. The competition will feature two distinct tournaments: a men's tournament for male college students and a juniors' tournament for male senior high school students. Notably, a ban on foreign student-athletes, which has been in effect since Season 96 in 2020, remains active, requiring all players to be Filipino.

Venues for the season include the Filoil EcoOil Centre for most group stage and playoff games, with select matches held at the PhilSports Arena, Rizal Memorial Coliseum, and San Andres Gym.

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