Construction of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines’ (UAAP) own home court and facilities began with the groundbreaking ceremony on Friday inside the sprawling 1.8-hectare site along Eulogio Amang Rodriguez Avenue in Pasig City.

The state-of-the-art Home of the UAAP, owned by Akari Lighting & Technology Corporation, is expected to be completed in 2027, in time for the league’s Season 90.

Chief executive officer Christopher Tiu and representatives of the eight UAAP schools, led by members of the Board of Managing Directors, spearheaded the event, which served as the first step of the premier collegiate league in realizing its dream of having a sports arena of its own.

“Today marks a historic milestone for the UAAP as we break ground on the Home of the UAAP. On behalf of all eight member schools, we are deeply grateful to our partner Akari for making this vision a reality,” UAAP president Fr. Rodel Casancio, OP, of Season 88 host University of Santo Tomas said.    

From an initial plan of more than 6,000 seats during the Akari and UAAP memorandum of agreement and project unveiling last year, developers of the arena have increased the seating capacity to over 8,000, and with more than 500 parking slots.

The Home of the UAAP will serve as the main venue of all indoor events of the league and will also house its office and headquarters.

A smaller arena situated on the upper floor will also be constructed to accommodate other indoor sports, allowing the Home of the UAAP to host simultaneous events.

An infinity-shaped design outlining the arena’s façade features a series of LED lights that will illuminate the color of the winning university during event days.

“UAAP is our anchor tenant, but beyond collegiate sports, we are open to hosting other events such as concerts, entertainment shows, school graduations and even corporate functions. Our goal for the complex is to build a true multi-purpose centrum,” Akari Project leader Timothy Tan said.

National University athletic director Otie Camangian expressed excitement that the new facility’s opening will coincide with the school’s hosting two years from now.