Filoil Pre-Season Cup. INQUIRER FILE
MANILA, Philippines — UAAP and NCAA squads are set to collide in the return of the Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup on July 23 at San Juan Arena.
University of the Philippines, the reigning UAAP Season 84 champion, and NCAA titleholder Letran lead the 17-team field — seven from UAAP and all 10 NCAA schools — in the preseason tournament’s comeback from three-year inactivity.
UAAP runner-up Ateneo will miss the tournament due to its training camp and pocket tournament in Japan.
“We’re elated to host the UAAP and NCAA teams for the return of the Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup. We’re pumped to see competitive games from all the participating schools as we celebrate our 15th staging of the tournament,” said chairman Rey Gamboa, who is joined by lead commissioner Joe Lipa, deputy commissioner Bert dela Rosa, tournament director Joey Guillermo, and consultant and media head Virgil Villavicencio in supervising the tilt.
UP is slated in one group with 2019 Filoil champion San Beda University and UAAP teams La Salle, Far Eastern University, Adamson University, National University, University of Santo Tomas, and University of the East.
Letran, the winner of the last two NCAA seasons, will lead an NCAA-laden group with Mapua University, University of Perpetual Help, College of St. Benilde, Arellano University, Emilio Aguinaldo College, San Sebastian College-Recoletos, Lyceum of the Philippines University, and Jose Rizal University.
The teams will clash in a round-robin format, with the top four in each group advancing to the crossover knockout playoffs. The preseason championship match is tentatively set for August 27.