The University of the Philippines’ (UP) recent three-year partnership with PUMA goes beyond contract signing and the distribution of apparel.

PUMA Group country manager Paulo Misa said that with most of his staff also UP graduates, the talks became much easier and shared the same wavelength with the Fighting Maroons.

The German brand announced its partnership with UP last 14 June and will start on Season 88 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) men’s basketball tournament.

“So all of us are very excited that this project will continue because it's our time to give back to the university. Nowhere To Go But UP, they're a huge part of why this partnership happened,” Misa, a former varsity football player for the Maroons, said during an episode of “Off the Court" on Thursday.

“So a lot of their time, it's really voluntary work. So we do our meetings with them.”

The Maroons are neck-deep into their title defense bid as they are currently in Serbia for their 17-day training camp.

Leading this batch are Harold Alarcon, Gerry Abadiano, Terrence Fortea, Gani Stevens and Rey Remogat, who will make his debut in Season 88.

UP hopes to get another title despite the departure of veterans JD Cagulangan, Quentin Milora Brown, Aldous Torculas, and Francis Lopez.