FILE — NCAA Season 95 opening. INQUIRER PHOTO/TRISTAN TAMAYO
MANILA, Philippines—The NCAA’s 98th season will not just focus on the major sports as the league brings back numerous events that were halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Members of the NCAA management committee bared their plans for the upcoming season, which opens on Saturday with the basketball competition at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“[In] Season 96 we had online practices and competition. Season 97 then had basketball and volleyball. This Season 98, we gradually added many other events,” league chairman Estefania Boquiron said.
The NCAA’s chairman also said the league will implement stricter health protocols for the teams due to a bigger crowd expectancy for this season. This includes standard antigen testing before player warmups.
“Antigen testing will be included in the [NCAA] overall budget,” Boquiron said.
The league will hold 10 events for this season: men’s seniors and juniors basketball; men’s, women’s and beach volleyball; cheerleading competition, swimming; track and field; taekwondo and chess.
The taekwondo and chess events will be held online.
Boquiron acknowledged the lack of sports compared to the league’s usual roster but said the inclusion of several new events is a step in the right direction.
“Our season today may not include every sport, but it’s good we added more.”