Biggest PBA ever: League accepts 3 new members

MANILA, Philippines — In a momentous move, the PBA on Thursday expanded as wide as it could by taking in three new members for its 40th season next year, giving Asia’s pioneering play-for-pay league its biggest ever field.

Metro Pacific Investment Corp., Columbian Auto Car Corp. and Ever Bilena Cosmetics Inc. all got the nod after a marathon deliberation by the board of governors yesterday, which league commissioner Chito Salud later described as “momentous.”

“This is a first,” Salud told reporters later. “This is a momentous occasion for the PBA in time for our 40th season. Nothing can be more exciting.”

The last time the league expanded was in 2000, when it took in a 10th team in Red Bull—now Barako Bull. The PBA then resisted bids from several companies to join in.

Metro Pacific will be carrying the name of the NLEX Road Warriors; Ever Bilena will be known as the Blackwater Elite and Columbian Auto Car will carry the name of KIA. (CAC will hold a contest to determine its moniker.)

The league is thus looking at playing at least four times a week next season and it could even be five. The three new teams will own the 11th, 12th and 13th picks in the first round of the next Draft with the order to be determined by lottery.

No direct-hire concession was given and instead, all 10 clubs will be asked to protect just 14 players from their respective rosters and open all the others to the expansion draft, which will be held shortly after the July 9 ending of the current season.

Each of the 10 teams in the field right now has 14 active players and two in their restricted free agents’ list.

At the end of the season, the Office of the Commissioner will ask for a final 14-man lineup with all the others not on the list eligible to be tapped from the expansion proceedings.

Meanwhile, Talk ‘N Text tries to sweep its elimination-round assignment when it battles winless Globalport at 8 p.m. today in the Commissioner’s Cup at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.

In the first game at 5:45 p.m., Meralco tries to enhance its playoff chances when it battles dangerous Barako Bull.