‘Home and away’
Last week formal ceremonies took place turning over hosting duties in the National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA) from San Beda College in Season 92 to San Sebastian College for this year. And along with it the policy board announced a tweak in how the league will present basketball games which should make matches more interesting.
The Policy Board, during the turnover ceremony at the San Sebastian campus in Mendiola, Manila, said that in an effort to “bring the league back to the schools and students,” the NCAA will hold a basketball game at venues of members schools once a week in Season 93 which kicks off on July 8.
As per the scheduling format shared to members of the media, the league will have a three-day playdate for Season 93 — Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Thursday games, the NCAA said, will be played at basketball courts of seven member schools. While those for Tuesday and Friday, three games each, will be played in neutral venues, usually the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.
The NCAA did not pinpoint which venues will be used for “home and away” games but as of now the league has 10 competing teams, namely San Beda, San Sebastian, College of St. Benilde, University of Perpetual Help, Letran, Mapua, Emilio Aguinaldo College, Jose Rizal University, Arellano and Lyceum. On two planes, I am really high on this change that the NCAA is instituting for Season 93 basketball.
For one, I do believe that this will indeed bring the league to stakeholders of its member schools, for them to be more engaged in supporting their respective teams.
This will be big especially during the elimination round where admittedly fan support in venues is not as “warm,” numberswise, as ideal.
Holding games on the courts of the schools, fans (students, alumni and school officials) have no reason not to go out and support their teams as matches will be held right in their backyards.
It would foster more team and school spirit while also opening themselves up to the public, with aid from the league’s TV coverage, to see what their institutions are all about.
Making the games “home and away” in part should translate as well to exciting and competitive games.
I mean, jacked-up school pride would be front and center here.
If you are the host team, you would definitely go all out to protect your turf in front of your supporters.
On the flipside, if you are the visiting team, imagine the satisfaction to go to “enemy territory” and beat the home team.
With expected intense competition, security may need to be stepped up as well but I am sure the NCAA is going to address that.
Looking to make the league more “relatable” to its fans, the NCAA has something promising in its hand with this latest tweak it is presenting. Here is hoping for its success and looking forward to an exciting year in Season 93.