Emilio Aguinaldo College Vice President for Administration Dr. Lorenzo Lorenzo (left) talks about the 101st season of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) during the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Tuesday (Sept. 30, 2025) at the conference hall of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex. With him is Jose Rizal University athletic director Paul Supan. (PNA photo by Jean Malanum)
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) officially raises the curtains on its 101st season this Wednesday, October 1, with defending champion and host Mapua University (MU) squaring off against Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU) in the men’s basketball tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Cardinals and the Pirates open the double-header at 2:30 p.m., followed by a marquee showdown at 5 p.m. between the College of Saint Benilde (CSB) Blazers and perennial powerhouse San Beda University (SBU) Red Lions.
Festivities begin at 12 noon with the opening ceremony, where Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairperson Patrick Gregorio will serve as guest speaker. Performances by Thea Astley, Hannah Precillas, Naya Ambi, and Aicelle Santos will highlight the entertainment program.
“This season is easy to remember—Season 101, opening on 10-1,” said Jose Rizal University athletic director Paul Supan at Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum. “With our theme ‘Building Greatness,’ we want to sustain the NCAA’s role in developing student-athletes into elite competitors for the next 100 years, in partnership with the PSC and our member schools.”
In line with this mission, the NCAA has introduced gymnastics, weightlifting, boxing, and golf as demonstration sports this year, to be staged in the second semester. Emilio Aguinaldo College Vice President for Administration Dr. Lorenzo Lorenzo explained that the move strengthens the league’s commitment to grassroots development.
“The NCAA and PSC are working hand in hand to nurture athletes who can eventually join the national training pool,” Lorenzo said. Under NCAA rules, a demonstration sport played for three consecutive years can be elevated to regular status.
The success of NCAA alumni on the world stage underscores this direction: CSB’s Hidilyn Diaz captured the country’s first Olympic gold in Tokyo, while gymnast Carlo Yulo brought home two gold medals at the 2024 Paris Games.
Basketball, meanwhile, returns to its original home at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum under a refreshed format. “This is where it all began for the NCAA,” Supan emphasized. “Our long-term plan is to stage all elimination and semifinal games here, going back to our roots.”
Junior basketball games between Mapua and Lyceum, and St. Benilde and San Beda, will tip off on Thursday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. Other sports such as taekwondo, swimming, and lawn tennis will be hosted at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, while track and field will be held at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.
With history, tradition, and new opportunities colliding, NCAA Season 101 promises to be more than a celebration of sport—it is the beginning of the league’s next century.