The 2016 NAASCU basketball tournament is just one of three under-the-radar collegiate basketball competitions that received ample airtime on television this year. (Photo credit: Philippine Daily Inquirer)
The UAAP and the NCAA are not the only collegiate basketball tournaments that are making hoop fans jump for joy.
This year, three other college basketball tournaments are getting their much-needed due by way of television exposure. They are:
- NAASCU (National Athletic Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities)
- CESAFI (Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc.)
- UCBL (Universities and Colleges Basketball League)
The NAASCU is the third most popular collegiate sports league in the country behind the UAAP and the NCAA. The league is also the biggest membership-wise among the three, with a total of 14 member schools.
This year, the NAASCU men’s basketball tournament was televised via Solar Sports and Basketball TV, with the finals of the men’s, women’s and juniors tournaments also airing on the said networks. It marked the first time that the whole NAASCU tournament was aired on television; previous coverors in IBC-13 and Net 25 aired a select amount of games, with the latter focusing in particular on the Iglesia ni Cristo-owned New Era University teams.
The CESAFI, on the other hand, is the top collegiate sports league in the Visayas. Although the CESAFI is not as well-recognized as its Metro Manila counterparts, it nevertheless carved its own niche in the Filipino hoops scene by producing stars such as current Ginebra big man Greg Slaughter and San Miguel center June Mar Fajardo.
The 12-member CESAFI currently airs its basketball tournament on AksyonTV, and is produced by VIVA Sports. Previously, the games were aired on IBC-13.
And speaking of IBC-13, a new league began to sprout on the said channel. That league, the UCBL, is exclusively a basketball-only league unlike its fellow contemporaries, with seven schools from all over Luzon participating.
The UCBL games are produced by the Asian Television Content Corporation, the same outfit that produced the NAASCU and the PBA D-League on IBC-13. The deal to air the games was set a month ago, even as the network continues its privatization process.
Indeed, college basketball in the Philippines is on the upswing. Although the UAAP and the NCAA continue to be the darlings of the sport, the less heralded trio in the NAASCU, CESAFI and UCBL now try to find their own niche, and this should benefit the game of basketball as a whole in the country.
From the Tube 
Actually, Net25 carry NAASCU back in 2011-12 season. Both last year’s NAASCU and CESAFI were on IBC 13.
Now with another underrated college basketball come into play, I won’t be surprised if Channel 13 through ATC Sports will not last their relations with UCBL long after this inaugural season (I based it on their historical transactions for 2 years). I questioned their going concern with their deal because the network can’t pay their outstanding debts when they are dry in cash.
It’s now edited for your pleasure. Honestly though, IBC should’ve not entered a deal with the UCBL while they’re still in the bidding stage. That league would’ve been better off on the more sports-focused AksyonTV.
IBC should think about its future first rather than pursuing any further programming projects. Their deal with the UCBL was just another big mistake.
At least, NAASCU partnered with Solar and has given the league some national attention from observers and pro league officials either in the PBA or other leagues.
Indeed. They deserve that attention after going under the radar for some time. Prior to that, some of their teams only appear on TV whenever the PCCL comes around.
Some of the sponsors of UCBL were the former sponsors of their PBA D-League coverage in 2015 (ex. Hapee Toothpaste, Cafefrance, Euromed)
Nice to see that they still have sponsors, otherwise their promotion would’ve sunk down the drain.
And speaking of basketball, ABL will have its new home in Philippine television. Philippine team matches and other selected matches will be aired live on S+A starting next month.
(Source: http://sports.abs-cbn.com/sportsandaction/news/2016/10/17/virtual-playground-joins-forces-abs-cbn-sports-abl-16659)
I don’t know if that’s the right move, but with the positive reputation that S+A brings, this may be a godsend to the ABL and the Filipino hoop fans.
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CESAFI’s 17th Season will not be shown on national television, because one of the backers of the broadcast coverage, Ronnie Nathanielsz of Viva was passed away last November.
Sad to see it happen. Also, Viva is still reeling from recent questionable business decisions so it was only wise for them to back off. Unfortunately, the news is not good for Cebuano basketball fans who want to see that league become nationally known.
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