INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines - Responding to criticisms, the UAAP aims to confront persistent problems ranging from ticket scalping to eligibility issues to game fixing in collegiate play this season.

“We want to be proactive,” UAAP president Anton Montinola of host Far Eastern University said at the PSA Forum Tuesday.

Plans to curb ticket scalping will be put to test on Aug. 9 when Ateneo battles La Salle. The UAAP will issue tickets solely for the blockbuster match.

“It’s the law of supply and demand,” said Montinola. “The only way to solve the problem is to flood the market with tickets.”

On the eligibility cases, Montinola said: “We already have a gentleman’s agreement within the board to bring up questions on eligibility ahead of time and not in the latter part of the season.”

Montinola added that the league’s plans to tap professional referees can keep game fixing in check. “[There will be] accountability,” he said. “The PBL and PBA hierarchy [said] there will be sanctions in their leagues if these referees don’t perform properly.”