The NCAA on TV5 received its latest black eye.
Monday saw two eventful matches with contrasting results. In the first game, the Perpetual Altas stunned the San Beda Red Lions 76-75, after which the Red Lions filed a protest claiming that Joel Jolangcob’s three-pointer at the end of the third quarter should have been nullified on the grounds that the Altas committed a prior 24-second shotclock violation.
But it was the second game between the Mapua Cardinals and the EAC Generals that stole the show, for all the wrong reasons.
With 28.5 seconds left in the fourth quarter and EAC leading 86-77, Generals playmaker John Tayongtong punched Mapua guard CJ Isit. Teammate Leo Gabo came into Isit’s defense and shoved Tayongtong, after which the bench-clearing brawl began that eventually stopped the game.
The Mapua-EAC game was shown on both TV5 and AksyonTV. But just as the arena announcer began to make an announcement regarding the player penalties and the official conclusion of the game, TV5 elected to cut the game short in favor of ‘Aksyon Prime’, and in one final measure, the station’s announcers urged viewers to switch to AksyonTV.
This is not the first time that TV5 cut its NCAA coverage short in favor of the news. Over two months ago, the closing minutes of a first-round game between Lyceum and Mapua was abruptly cut in favor of an impromptu speech by President Noynoy Aquino, which essentially kicked off ‘Aksyon Prime’.
Their latest act, while more excusable than the first, is just another way of treating the NCAA like a second-class citizen. Yes, they may be focusing their energies more on the Gilas basketball team of late, but they should have been treating the NCAA equally like their other broadcast properties.
Honestly, TV5 should have finished the airing of the game. The official announcement was seconds away, and yet they decided to do what is infamously known as a ‘Heidi moment’ in television lore, which is unacceptable to viewers.
With still a few more games to go, TV5 needs to learn from these mistakes as quickly as possible. Otherwise, the NCAA will have to find a new partner for next season.
From the Tube 
Those incidents are another proofs that the officials’ skill in officiating is nowhere near PBA standards.
Regarding the incident in the second game, the perpetrator EAC point guard John Tayongtong received a 5-game suspension, while the first victim CJ Isit of Mapua did not get a suspension. The three referees involved will be fined and suspended indefinitely, while all other players involved but 4 EAC players and four Mapua players (including the aforementioned Isit) receive suspensions of a varying amount of games. (Because of those suspensions, it is possible that both teams may forfeit at least one game each.)
Since ABS-CBN stopped airing NCAA men’s basketball games, the collegiate tournament’s popularity has decreased to the point that it almost enters a stage of obscurity… until this NCAA season (probably for a short time).
Honestly, I don’t like TV5’s handling of the NCAA games. The Moneyball segment is a waste of time, because the hosts of that segment weren’t given enough of a chance to shine. Yung sideline reporters nila ay overexposed because they’re working both sides of a doubleheader instead of just one game. Worse, the cheering squads were only given one or two minutes of airtime during halftime, unlike in the UAAP where around four or five minutes ang allotted sa halftime cheerdance exhibitions.
Lack of sponsorship is also hurting TV5’s relationship with the league. At the moment, TV5’s sister company Smart is the only legit sponsor of NCAA games. And finally, changes in timeslots, scheduling issues and abrupt cuts in live coverage are not helping both sides.
That’s why they should go back to ABS-CBN Sports and Action and try to follow what ABS is doing with UAAP, and that is to have a representative from each school as court side reporters so that they could give students from other schools (especially those cute and smart college girls) to represent their school and report on behalf of their school to the commentators. Even if ABS-CBN is favoring UAAP more than NCAA (admit or not, you preferred to watch UAAP more than NCAA because its obvious that UAAP has bigger crowd than NCAA), it is better to have a good coverage than stay in TV singko
Like I said, it won’t help them if they go back to ABS. Sa GMA na lang ang pagasa nila.
If ever na bumalik ang NCAA on Kapamilya ,may halong excitement pero jealousy ‘yan. Excitement kasi comeback sila sa former coveror, but jealousy dahil it seems that ABS-CBN is now falling in love with UAAP.
As of now kasi, dalawa lang ang sports division on free TV. At tama ka nga, mukhang tinatrato na lang ng Sports5 ang NCAA as “others” na lang. At dahil decreasing na ang kasikatan nito, mukhang malinaw na rin na baka mauwi na rin sila sa sudden collapse. I suggest, dapat na nga sigurong mag-merge ang UAAP at NCAA in order to avoid “league wars” na ala-network wars na rin.
Imposible ang proposal mo. Hindi lang basketball ang sport ng parehong liga; may iba pang sports ang UAAP at NCAA. Saka mga haka-haka lang yan, around 2008 may talks before of that merger, pero agad dinispel ng management, and instead the PCCL was used as a postseason tournament for all colleges in the Philippines.
And also pala, NCAA is no longer with SM tickets na for this season. I watched Beda-Benilde game kasi last Aug. 30 at sa SJ Arena na lang available ang tickets. Their home-made ticket ngayon looks like a colored raffle ticket na lang with Sports5 logo at the back. So talagang obvious na medyo critically decreasing na sila. So sad to say. Nasa IG account ko ‘yung itsura ng new ticket nila. @snfernando_ph
Malungkot talaga ang sitwasyon sa NC ngayon. Pati tickets, cheapskate na rin. Next thing you know, hindi na sa Araneta or MOA yung Finals; sa SJ Arena na lang.
I like that idea. In order to avoid school discrimination and to add more excitement and longer college basketball season just like in NCAA.
The problem is that the UAAP and NCAA employ a different number of sports. Hindi lang basketball ang parehong liga.
For instance, may women’s basketball ang UAAP, pero wala sa NCAA. The UAAP also has baseball, softball, judo, and fencing, something the NCAA lacks at this point.
Right now, there is the Philippince Collegiate Champions League as a postseason tournament for not only UAAP and NCAA basketball teams, but also other leagues in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. At least on that tournament, pwedeng magsagupa ang UAAP and NCAA teams,
Pero kailangan na talaga ng NCAA lumipat sa ibang station more likely GMA News TV or sa sports channel ng ABS. Malulugi ang TV5 diyan.
Sa News TV lang dapat mapunta ang NCAA. Makaka-thrive sila doon unlike sa TV5 and ABS na ginagawang second class citizen ang liga thanks to the PBA and UAAP respectively.
That will only happen if GMA invests in sports equipment and establishes their own sports division na hindi dependent sa blocktimers.
Agree. And if ever na mangyayari ‘yun, baka ang PBA dLeagye na lang ang magiging ka-level nila na currently experiencing poor TV exposure din. Pero I remember ‘nung 2012, the NCAA held their hoop games outside Mega Manila, in order to bring their vibes closer to the fans who were in provinces.
How about PhilSports Arena & Cuneta Astrodome? Sayang din sila.
Problem with NCAA’s provincial approach is the logistics factor. Magastos, saka walang TV coverage.
PhilSports and Cuneta would be perfect alternate venues, and even the aging but still serviceable Ninoy Aquino and Rizal Memorial arenas in Malate can still be useful. May mga options ang NCAA, it’s just that they are not taking advantage of being a ten-team league with the consequences of longer schedules.
Naisip ko lang ‘to: Paano kaya kung pagsabayin na lang ang dalawang NCAA games in 1 timeslot? Ex.: Beda-Benilde at San Juan Arena (tv5) then Letran-Mapua at PhilSports Arena (AKSYONtv), at ang timeslot ay 2pm. Then at 4pm ay ibang teams naman pero same scheme. In that way, mas mapapabilis ang NCAA, but the Kapatid network should intensify their signal on Ch. 41, dapat nga kasing-lakas ng 49 at 23 eh. They should not use their Antipolo tower for TV.
Again, pera ang pinaguusapan rito. Magastos ang sinusuggest mo. Pero kung may enough money na ang TV5, baka pwede. Just not now.
The only recourse is for the league to play five days a week, at hindi dependent sa San Juan Arena. This is a more feasible suggestion for now. Wala pa sa digital age ang TV sa Pilipinas, so hintay-hintay ka lang muna.
I really think NCAA should go back to ABS-CBN Sports and Action where they are being treated well, despite of the Kapamilya network treating UAAP more than them. Admit it or not, it is better to be in ABS-CBN Sports and Action who has a better sports coverage and is favoring UAAP than be in TV5 who is becoming less interested in NCAA. My school is from NCAA division and all I can say, even I don’t watch NCAA sometimes and their coverage in TV5 is worse than in ABS-CBN before. So going back to Sports and Action despite of ABS favoring UAAP, should just focus on maintaining a good sports coverage.
However, the NCAA will again be restricted to weekdays, just like in their last season with ABS several years ago. Hindi sila papayag doon dahil disadvantageous ang magiging schedule nila considering the amount of schools they have.
The best available option for them now is to convince GMA to air their games. Doon na lang ang pagasa nila. If GMA can start coming up with a way to purchse sports broadcast equipment, it will be easier for them to convince. Then the games should be seen on GMA News TV, which has a wider coverage than Aksyon TV or TV5.
di na iniintindi ng gma ang magkaroon ng sports. naging focus sila sa competition ng abs cbn at tv5. kaya mas maganda na iere na lang ito sa abs cbn sports + action dahil marami itong istasyon sa buong bansa kahit na ito ay uhf channel at nababagay ito dahil sports channel. pumayag nga ang solar noon na iere ang pba sa 23 kahit nasa uhf pa ito dahil nga marami itong istasyon sa bansa. ganon din ang uaap, may kontrata ito ng hanggang 2019 dahil malawak din ang signal ng 23. kung mangayri, sana alternate ang schedule ng uaap at ncaa o kaya sa hapon ang ncaa at sa primetime ang uaap.
Pero may chance pa ring magkaroon ng sports division ang GMA, whether you like it or not. And besides, the NCAA would rather convince GMA to add them.
Target na ng NCAA na matapos ang season na ito by October 25.
In case of weather postponements, dapat maghanap na kaagad sila ng venue and day bilang contingency plan, para makaabot sila sa target end of season nila. Otherwise expect the worst from this league.
At dahil dito, some of the early entry PBA draftees that are still playing in the NCAA ay made-delay ang kanilang pagpasok sa liga. Kaya I’m against this rule by the NCAA, na pinapayagan nila yung mga graduating players na sumali sa PBA Draft habang naglalaro pa sila. They should have followed the UAAP’s lead, na huwag ka munang sumali sa PBA Draft hangga’t naglalaro ka pa sa college.
As of this comment-writing, there’s a louder rumors that NCAA bolted out already on tv5 and they’ll be moving back to Kapamilya this year. One of the reason kung bakit sila babalik sa Mo. Ignacia is because the network along Greenfield District focuses too much on PBA eh. There some reports that they met already with Kapamilya execs about this matter. I hope you write an article about this soon.
Only if they make it official. Pero I’m still in favor of the NCAA not pursuing a TV contract in the foreseeable future, dahil lalong magiging complicated if they still pursue a TV contract.
In an opinion-article made by Rivals.PH, deserving daw ang NCAA to be brought back to Ch. 23 because it’s about time for their well-skilled players to be given a deserving publicity daw, just like in the UAAP.
The point is, pursuing a TV contract will be more complicated for the NCAA. Scheduling at venues ang magiging kalaban ng liga. Both ABS and TV5 were unable to give the NCAA a fair treatment when they had the contract, so what’s the point of them pursuing a TV contract again? It no longer makes sense.
kung lilipat yan sa GMA, walang pagasa ang NCAA, given the current status of GMA (loss of four regional TV stations, downsizing and lack of sports department).
if it ever returns to ABS-CBN Sports, balik sila sa pagiging second-class citizens, since priority nila ang UAAP. Sports5 is eyeing UAAP, but UAAP made the right decision to stay with ABS rather than move to Sports5 and destroy its popularity.
With all these options unavailable, talagang hindi maganda ang future ng NCAA sa TV. It’s best for them na huwag munang i-pursue ito at i-build muna ang student participation sa mga member schools, which they desperately needed.