THE UNIVERSITY Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) has announced that it will return on March 26, two years after its indefinite postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sporting events that will be included in UAAP Season 84 are the following: Men’s basketball, women’s volleyball, 3×3 basketball, poomsae, men’s beach volleyball, chess, and cheerdance.

The announcement was made during a press conference held on February 25 by UAAP Executive Director Atty. Rebo Saguisag, UAAP President Emmanuel Calanog, and representatives from Smart and Cignal TV.

In reference to the participation of member universities, Calanog mentioned that all universities are set to participate in men’s basketball, women’s volleyball, and cheerdance. One or two universities have stated that they will be unable to participate in events outside of the aforementioned three sports, according to Calanaog.

The UAAP will launch with the men’s basketball tournament on March 26, and is scheduled to finish on May 12. Women’s volleyball is set to follow after the conclusion of the men’s basketball tournament.

A strict bubble will be maintained for at least the first round of the men’s basketball tournament, meaning no fan or media attendance. For this period, members of the media will be allowed to have interviews virtually. However, a limited number of spectators and media partners may be allowed to enter the bubble after the first round should restrictions ease and COVID-19 cases continue to decrease. Calanog stressed that the strict bubble will be maintained to ensure the continuation of the league, considering unforeseen circumstances such as another COVID-19 surge arise. At the conclusion of the season, Calanog mentioned that there will be a General Championship awarded to the participating university that has garnered the most cumulative points.

A formal opening ceremony will be pre-recorded and aired before the first sporting event of the UAAP season. Given the ongoing pandemic, the league will implement a bubble format, with games held three times a week. Unique to this format is that all teams in a tournament will play on the same day.

A key factor in the operation of the league will be regular testing for student-athletes, with RT-PCR tests held every 14 days and Antigen tests conducted before every game.

Additionally, all participating student-athletes must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Should student-athletes test positive for COVID-19, league rules mandate that a team must meet the minimum required number of players to be eligible to play. While the venue for the bubble is still being finalized by the UAAP Board of Directors, possible sites are the following:

• The Mall of Asia Arena
• Ynares Center
• Araneta Coliseum
• FilOil Flying V Centre

Also mentioned in the conference was the new UAAP logo, created by Darryl Digal. This is in line with new developments made by the league over the pandemic, such as its new broadcasting partner, Cignal TV, and its new partnership with Smart.

In order to cater to its young audience, the UAAP and its media partners have plans to create content that is increasingly reliant on technology—from detailed statistics to more advanced cameras and camera angles. Furthermore, content will also go beyond live games with releases from within the bubble and outside the bubble, when permitted.

While Season 84 represents a transition period for collegiate sports, the league is looking to normalize scheduling, logistics, and sporting events come Season 85. A “new normal” look for the UAAP will hopefully be launched by September or October of 2022, under Season 85.