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Another action-filled season of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) opens next month, this time with a new tournament format for its basketball and volleyball games.

With a theme “Building Greatness,” the 101st season of the NCAA will open on October 1, 12 p.m., at the Araneta Coliseum, and will be hosted by Sparkle hosts and stars Martian Javier, Ashley Ortega, and Anjo Pertierra.

“We would like to inspire our new generation of student-athletes not only to compete, but we also would like them to build upon the legacy of greatness that this league was founded on,” NCAA Season 101 Policy Board President Dr. Dodjie Maestrecampo said at the media launch on Monday.

All-Out Sundays Divas of Queendom Thea Astley, Hannah Precillas, and Naya Ambi will also perform the Season 101 theme song, “Own the Future,” during the ceremony, along with a special performance by Aicelle Santos.

NCAA fans and supporters are in for a treat as two games will be staged on the opening day with Mapua University and the Lyceum of the Philippines facing each other at 2:30 p.m., followed by the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde and the San Beda University at 5 p.m.

For this season, the NCAA is introducing a new format for its basketball and volleyball games, which will continue until Season 103.

The 10 teams are divided into groups A and B for the men's basketball games, which were determined through draw lots.

Group A is composed of the Arellano Chiefs, LPU Pirates, San Sebastian Golden Stags, Perpetual Altas, and Mapua Cardinals, while Group B is composed of the EAC Generals, San Beda Red Lions, Letran Knights, Benilde Blazers, and the JRU Heavy Bombers.

The new format features a group stage with crossover play, followed by an expanded playoff system.

The updated playoffs will feature a play-in game for the fourth seeds, a twice-to-beat advantage for the top two seeds of each group in the quarterfinals, and best-of-three series for both the semifinals and the finals.

“As we usher in the new century, we wanted to have a fresh format for our student-athletes,” NCAA management committee member Efren Supan said.

NCAA Season 101 will showcase competitions in the following sports: volleyball, basketball, taekwondo, badminton, table tennis, swimming, street dance, beach volleyball, football, lawn tennis, soft tennis, 3x3, track and field, and cheerleading.

Catch the NCAA games every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 11 a.m. on Heart of Asia (HOA) and 2:30 p.m. on GTV and HOA; every Friday at 12 noon and 2:30 p.m. on HOA; and every Sunday at 12 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. on GTV and HOA.