LUIS Pablo of La Salle gets a chance to represent the country after the UAAP adjusted its Season 89 men’s basketball schedule to give way for Gilas Pilipinas’ participation in international competitions.
Photograph courtesy of UAAP
The University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) is adjusting its September schedule for both the collegiate men’s and women’s basketball tournaments to accommodate Gilas Pilipinas’ campaigns in the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya and the FIBA 3x3 U23 World Cup 2026 in Wuhan.
“The support of the UAAP is important to our national team programs, especially with so many of our student-athletes being called up to represent the country,” Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas executive director Erika Dy said.
“We appreciate the UAAP for working closely with us and for making the necessary adjustments to accommodate our national team commitments. This kind of partnership allows our athletes to compete for both their schools and the Philippines with the support they need.”
As such, there will only be five gamedays from 13 to 30 September.
“We have always believed that the UAAP’s mission goes beyond the competition. We are here to develop student-athletes who can represent our schools, but we are equally proud when they get the opportunity to represent the country,” UAAP Season 89 president Mark Molina of Far Eastern University said.
“The UAAP will always support all our national teams, and we are willing to adjust our schedules whenever necessary to give our student-athletes the opportunity to serve the Philippines.”
The UAAP Season 89 opening ceremony will be held on 12 September at the Smart Araneta Coliseum with Vice Ganda and Gloc-9 headlining the festivities.
The first gameday will be on 13 September at the Big Dome with FEU facing Adamson University clashing at 12 p.m., followed by defending champion De La Salle University taking on National University (NU) at 2:30 p.m. in a rematch of last season’s Final Four.
University of the Philippines (UP) will then square off against University of Santo Tomas (UST) at 6 p.m.
Separate tickets will be sold for the UP-UST game.
On 16 September at the Mall of Asia Arena, Ateneo de Manila University and University of the East (UE) will make their season debuts at 3 p.m., followed by De La Salle versus UST at 5:30 p.m.
Games on 19 September at the Smart Araneta Coliseum will see National University take on UE at 3 p.m., followed by the Round 1 of the Battle of Katipunan between Ateneo and UP at 5:30 p.m.
On 26 September, there will be another triple-header at the Mall of Asia Arena, with Ateneo facing Adamson at 12 p.m., UE taking on FEU at 2:30 p.m., and UP squaring off against NU at 6 p.m. Separate tickets will be sold for the UP-NU game.
To close the month on 30 September, Adamson will face UST at 3 p.m., followed by FEU versus La Salle at 5:30 p.m. at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The schedules of FEU, Adamson, UST, and La Salle have been adjusted as FEU’s Cabs Cabonilas and Jedric Daa, along with Adamson’s Earl Medina, are set to compete in the FIBA 3x3 U23 World Cup, which runs from 15 to 19 September.
Meanwhile, La Salle’s Luis Pablo and Doy Dungo, along with UST’s Koji Buenaflor, will suit up for Gilas Pilipinas in the Asian Games, which will be held from 21 to 25 September.
Gilas 3x3 U23 Men are slotted with Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and Sri Lanka in Pool A of the Asian Games.
