PBA eyes 2-conference format for 2021-22 season

PBA commissioner Willie Marcial is looking to kick off the 46th season by May, if possible. —PHOTO COURTESY OF PBA IMAGES

MANILA, Philippines—The PBA is adamant that it can stage a two-conference campaign for the 2021-22 season with the league targeting June as the start of the competition.

Both Commissioner Willie Marcial and Board Vice Chairman Bobby Rosales are confident that the league can muster two conferences as long as the season starts in June as any later would mean going back to staging just one tournament.

“If we’re able to start by June, we might still be able to do two conferences. But any date later than June, it becomes more difficult to hold two conferences,” said Rosales, the Terrafirma governor, as per PBA.ph.

Marcial said that starting in June would mean a February end to the season, and it’s a scenario the league has the tools for to complete.

The PBA initially set to hold the Philippine and Governors’ Cups at Ynares Center in Antipolo as the main venue of the games with the All-Filipino Conference starting mid-April.

Those plans, however, were thrown off after NCR Plus—Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, and Laguna—were placed under an enhanced community quarantine in March.

The Philippine Cup was supposed to be played across four months and the Governors’ Cup across six.

Holding the Governors’ Cup, however, still hinges on the country’s travel restrictions and if foreign players will be allowed to enter the Philippines.

“There’s a lot of nitty-gritty,” said Marcial. “Let’s see how we’ll proceed because we’ll see what’s the best for the PBA.”

The PBA was able to finish the 2020 Philippine Cup in a bubble environment in Clark, Pampanga with Barangay Ginebra emerging as champion.

/MUF