Transfer spree sparks UAAP rule change

Mason Amos’ shock transfer to De La Salle University isn’t the only reason behind the University Athletic Association of the Philippines’ (UAAP) decision to amend its eligibility rules starting Season 87.

Ateneo de Manila University head coach Tab Baldwin said Amos decision to jump ship to a rival school may be high profile, but it isn’t the only reason why the league suddenly decided to tweak its rules on transferees.

“No. I think maybe the accumulative effect of several transfers and some of them being relatively high profile,” said the 66-year-old Baldwin, adding that player movement in the country’s most prestigious collegiate league had already gotten out of hand.

Moving from one school to another is nothing new for student-athletes, not just in men’s basketball, but in other sports as well.

For the Blue Eagles, they saw the stunning departure of Amos to De La Salle University, which broke out while he was playing for Gilas Pilipinas in the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifier in Latvia last July.

On Wednesday, the UAAP through executive director Atty. Rebo Saguisag announced a change in the eligibility rule effective in the academic year 2024-25 affecting Season 87, which will open with the men’s basketball tournament starting Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Under the new rule, transferees in the collegiate level will render a one-year residency plus another year shaved off their eligibility.

“As Boss Rebo said, you know, it was probably a part of the rationale behind it. I think his answer to the question is the definitive answer. It made sense. I think that’s the story, really,” said Baldwin, whose squad got dethroned in the Final Four last year by eventual runner-up University of the Philippines.

Aside from Amos, who made the transfer in the first semester of this academic calendar, other high-profile switches include guard Kean Baclaan, who left National University for La Salle, and Rey Remogat, who parted ways with University of the East to join University of the Philippines.

But unlike Amos, both players enrolled with their new schools in the second semester of the previous year and will not be affected by the rule revisions.

Green Archers coach Topex Robinson felt the new rules somewhat deprive student-athletes of their freedom to choose where they want to play and a choice of good education.

“Just me as a person and not representing an institution, it’s unfair for a child to have his freedom of choice taken away because of the limitations (imposed),” he said.

Although he will abide by the new rules agreed upon by all eight member-schools, personally, he thought the issue will be about one’s right of choice.

“Well, at the end of the day, I will abide by what the higher-ups would decide on but as a person and not representing anybody, I guess it’s unfair for a human being to have the freedom to choose (taken away), not only to where his basketball will take him but also for his higher education,” he said.

Baldwin, for his part, would leave the rules to the UAAP.

“It’s an admin thing. As a coach it doesn’t concern me. We’ll see how it plays out,” he said.