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| (Image Source: TeamPilipinas.info/Facebook/One Sports) |
After two years of indefinite absence from the local sports limelight due to the limitations and restrictions brought about by the global COVID-19 pandemic, the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) makes its much-awaited, highly-anticipated return with its 84th season to open under a bubble setup on March 26 with De La Salle University (DLSU) as the season's host. The announcement of UAAP Season 84 was made by none other than league president Emmanuel Calinog during a virtual media briefing held last February 25, 2021.
With the venue to be disclosed in the coming weeks and a pre-recorded opening ceremony on its final touches in time for the start of the season, UAAP Season 84 will kick off with the men's basketball tournament followed by women's volleyball in two months. The league plans to hold the tournament games four times a day - 10:00 am, 1:00 pm, 4:00 pm, 7:00 pm - every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday with the similar format used in previous seasons - round-robin elimination format, final four, best-of-three series. According to UAAP Executive Director Atty. Rebo Saguisag, the participating players will undergo RT-PCR (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) every 14 days and antigen tests on game days. In the men's basketball tournament's first round, fans and members of the press are not allowed inside the venue; however, they may eventually be allowed starting at the next round if things go well.
Aside from men's basketball and women's volleyball, UAAP Season 84 will also feature men's and women's 3x3 basketball, men's beach volleyball, cheerdance, poomsae and men's and women's chess due to the continuing implementation of COVID-19 health and safety restrictions. The league will eventually crown an overall champion at the end of the season. Saguisag assured that the student-athletes of UAAP member schools - Ateneo De Manila University, De La Salle University, University Of Sto. Tomas, Far Eastern University, National University, University Of The Philippines (UP), University Of The East, Adamson University - are fully-vaccinated against COVID-19 and currently undergoing strict, safe and rigorous training within their respective bubbles. Otherwise during game days, the league is slated to implemement a set of contingency plans in the event players test positive for COVID-19 such as resumption of ongoing games with participating teams having the satisfyingly least amount of players needed to hold the game.
All UAAP Season 84 games will be aired live on One Sports (analog free TV channel 41, digital free TV 497.143/695.143, Cignal channel 6, SKYcable channel 59) and UAAP Varsity Channel (Cignal HD channel 263) with TV5 and Cignal TV as its official broadcast partners. On the other hand, UAAP Season 84 can be streamed live and free on the Smart Gigaplay app, available on Google Play and Apple App Store, for all Smart subscribers without incurring data charges which is enough for them to enjoy the hardcourt action and drama of their favorite collegiate sports stars for a limited time only. “We join the millions of UAAP fans who are eager to show their school pride as the league returns after a two-year, pandemic-enforced hiatus. While we can’t troop to the venues in full force just yet, we are glad to make watching the upcoming games easier than ever with the GigaPlay app. This is part of our commitment to give our customers what they want and continue to enable them to pursue their passions," said PLDT and Smart Communications President and CEO Alfredo S. Panlilio.
"We’re preparing for this upcoming season. Hopefully, you will be able to watch your favorite universities and players play particularly to our partner Cignal TV and Smart. They will be able to bring the UAAP to your very rooms and to your phones and whatever gadgets you have with the same amount of intensity even if you are not in the venue live, but you are still watching as if you were there," Calinog said. While waiting for the highly-anticipated long-awaited return of UAAP, collegiate sports fans can enjoy reliving the best moments from the league's previous seasons on UAAP Classics every Monday at 9:00 pm on One Sports and everyday on UAAP Varsity Channel.
