PVL set on 12 squads, schedules rookie draft

PVL president Ricky Palou (right). –PVL PHOTO

The Premier Volleyball (PVL) League may have lost one team and watched another require some astute financial rescuing, but it is ready to come out stronger next season, with guardrails implemented to keep competition healthy.

PVL president Ricky Palou said the league is currently screening four interested companies and will only accept two applicants—with the crucial criteria being the long-term commitment of each.

“Before we accept anybody, we will assess them, meet with them, find out their interest and capability to maintain a team. And then, decide which of the applicants is better to accept,” Palou told the Inquirer. “We want to get a long-term commitment.”

The PVL has had teams sign up for participation in the league, only to leave after a short stint.

Palou is hoping to create a more stable roster of teams that will stay with the league on a long-term basis. The PVL chief is also hoping to strengthen competition by finally implementing a rookie draft and preventing teams from cornering top collegiate standouts.

The draft, however, is penciled as a midseason event, with the first conference of the next season to be included in weighing the draft order.

“We will do [the draft] in June or July,” Palou said. “All the teams agreed with the drafting. We will combine the [records] of the just concluded All-FIlipino and the first conference next year.”

F2 disbandment

The PVL at the end of the recent season was hit by the disbandment of F2 Logistics. Toward the end of that season, news broke out that Gerflor could no longer afford to pay the salaries of its squad, necessitating a rescue from a big-time sports patron with interests in both basketball and volleyball.

Players of F2 have been declared free agents regardless if they have existing contracts and a source speaking on the condition of anonymity told the Inquirer that the Cargo Movers management will continue paying the players or exercise buyouts “until such a time those contracts are absorbed by another team.”

Told about this, Palou said he has already heard that some of the Cargo Movers are already close to signing with new squads.

An Inquirer source, who asked not to be named because he isn’t part of negotiations, said the F2 Logistics coaching staff is also close to signing a deal with a PVL team, which has close ties to the coaches of the Cargo Movers.

The signing of the coaches could determine where some of the F2 Logistics stars may end up playing. That could also determine the fate of one of the applicants, who sources said is interested in acquiring the core of the Cargo Movers.