The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is set to officially kick off Season 96 with the opening ceremony on Sunday, June 13, and the start of sporting events on Monday, June 14, beginning with the taekwondo tournaments.
In a virtual media conference held on Friday, NCAA officials, led by NCAA Season 96 Policy Board president Fr. Rector Clarence Victor C. Marquez, O.P. and NCAA management committee chairman Fr. Victor Calvo Jr., O.P., officially announced the return of the league, which has been on hold since the cancellation of NCAA Season 95 activities in March of 2020 due to COVID-19.
“Today we welcome a new day, we are turning a new page. We shall be opening NCAA Season 96. Since the Covid pandemic shut us down last year, and with the accompanying challenge we face along with the rest of the world, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the NCAA, the Philippines’ first and longest running collegiate athletic league, has resolved to move forward and to carry the good fight for our love of the game,” Fr. Marquez said.
“With a new broadcast partner, GMA Network, the NCAA and all our member school communities, our student-athletes, our fans, shall all “Rise Up Stronger”, shall boldly and bravely face the challenges of the new normal in collegiate athletic competition and sports broadcast.”
The season will officially launch on Sunday with a GMA-produced opening ceremony, that will feature a showcase of athlete stories and the participation of Kapuso stars as flag-bearers and muses for the member schools as well as musical performances.
The ceremony will be hosted by Khalil Ramos and Gabbi Garcia as well as NCAA primer show ‘Rise Up Stronger: The Road to NCAA Season 96’ hosts Sophia Senoron and Martin Javier.
“Since May 23 until tomorrow June 12, we had designed the program as a primer to re-acquaint our viewers to the NCAA by celebrating the league’s legacy and successes throughout its almost 100-year history,” said GMA Regional TV and Synergy First Vice President and Head Oliver B. Amoroso during the conference.
“With that, we are excited to start the next phase of our partnership with NCAA,” he added.
That next phase is the beginning of the sporting events, which Amoroso also announced.
The season will open with the exclusive coverage of the poomsae competition, which will include standard men’s, women’s and juniors’ division and a freestyle event, from June 14 to June 17. After that will be the speed-kicking competition, which will run from June 18 to July 5 and will feature men’s, women’s and juniors’ divisions as well.
The rest of the schedule, including the online chess tournament, will be announced at a later time. There is also a proposal to include non-contact, skill-based competitions in basketball and volleyball as well, depending on what will be allowed under health and safety protocols.
Fr. Calvo, representing the NCAA management committee, also spoke about the challenges of the season. He admitted there was initial reluctance to host the season due to the pandemic.
“We had two options that were presented sa NCAA Management Committee and the Policy Board. Number one is to give up, and number two is Rise Up,” he said.
“We refused to be immobilized by the Covid-19 pandemic. And we have to squeeze everything that we can do. There are some discussions, until now, about what we can do.”
“We will 'Rise Up Stronger', refuse to give up, no matter how great the odds.”
‘Rise Up Stronger: NCAA Season 96’ will air every weekday (2:45 p.m.), Saturdays (4:30 p.m.), and Sundays (5:05 p.m.) on GTV.
—JMB, GMA News
