UAAP braces for calendar crunch

With three major international tournaments set to cap off the year, the University of Santo Tomas (UST) and the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) are preparing to make necessary adjustments in Season 88’s calendar to allow its student-athletes to serve the national team.

The Philippines will host the FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship in September, while athletes — many from UAAP schools — will compete in the rescheduled 2nd Asian Women’s U16 Volleyball Championship in Jordan from 1 to 8 November, and the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand this December.

With these events looming, the Season 88 hosts are already anticipating changes in scheduling and venue logistics as the new UAAP season kicks off this September.

UAAP Season 88 president and UST Institute of Physical Education and Athletics director Fr. Rodel Cansancio, O.P. said the league is prepared to accommodate national team commitments, especially if called upon to lend athletes for the SEA Games.

“If there will be requests for them to play for the national team, that’s the time that we’ll decide. As I’ve said, we’re open to our adjust our schedule if there’s indeed a call and request for the UAAP to help the national team,” Cansancio said last Monday at the UST Buenaventura Garcia Paredes, O.P. Building.

The biggest challenge is expected in the first semester with collegiate basketball and collegiate football expected to run through December.

Many UAAP student-athletes from those sports are expected to bolster Team Pilipinas’ SEA Games campaign.

The rescheduling of the U16 volleyball championship, initially set for July but moved to November due to the Israel-Iran conflict, also compresses the first semester calendar.

Many members of that youth team will also come from UAAP programs.

“If there’s a call and a request from the NSAs (national sports associations), the BMD (board of managing directors) and the BoT (board of trustees) would agree and we’re willing to adjust our schedule, especially kung may players coming from the UAAP schools, just like what we’ve done before,” the UST official added.

“If there’s a call and a request, we are more than willing to lend our players for the national team.”

While the full Season 88 calendar has yet to be finalized, Cansancio confirmed that the UAAP collegiate basketball tournaments are slated to open in the third week of September.

As host of the season opener, UST will hold the opening ceremony at the UST Field and Grandstand, while basketball games will begin that same weekend at the Quadricentennial Pavilion Arena.