Organizers of the Shakey’s Super League (SSL) are working on completing an 18-team field for the upcoming 2026 Collegiate Preseason Unity Cup in September.

Two squads skipped last year’s edition, but the league is confident it can get all the squads from the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) and the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) to participate in the tournament’s fifth staging.

“We hope to get 18. I think one more team needs more convincing. We’re doing our best to have a complete roster of teams,” Athletic Events and Sports Management Group Inc. (ACES) president Dr. Ian Laurel said.

Five-peat-seeking National University and University of Santo Tomas, which ruled the international-flavored 2026 Collegiate National Invitationals recently, banner the field.

The Lady Bulldogs defeated the Golden Tigresses in two thrilling games — both five-setters — last year.

De La Salle University, runner-up in the 2022 and 2024 editions, and University of the East took a leave of absence in the previous tilt as both teams were rebuilding their rosters following key departures and injuries.

“Three weeks ago, we started our communication with all the teams. All teams of the NCAA and all the teams from the UAAP. We just had to take care of the staging of the National Invitationals. Right away, we’ve shifted to our preparation for the Pre-season,” Laurel said.

“I think we’re gonna have an exciting lineup of players. As we can see right now with the league, we can clearly see the transition of players from the high school level to the collegiate. In fact, even the incoming rookies have already established a fan base. They’re interested to see how they will perform with their new collegiate teams. That’s the exciting part,” he added.

“It’s so nice that Shakey’s (Super League) is the first tournament that they have joined before the actual season starts in their respective leagues.”

Aside from its unique all-to-play rule, the league is also integrating the hawk-eye technology into its video challenge.

First tested during the National Invitationals – the country’s first-ever implementation of the innovation in a local league – the use of the hawk-eye review will further enhance officiating to be at par with international standards.