MANILA – The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Management Committee (ManCom) is discussing the possibility of pushing back the opening of its Season 96 from July to November due to the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak.
NCAA ManCom chairman Peter Cayco of Arellano University said that the group will formally send their recommendation to the Policy Board next week.
“Fine tuning pa. Marami pang aayusin. Baka early next week pa maipasa,” said Cayco. “We have to consider a lot.”
In the past few years, the NCAA started mostly its seasons late June or early July. Its first semester sports are being played until November and some in December, while the second semester sports begin in January.
But now that the tipoff of Season 96 has been recommended to begin in November, the first semester sports are expected to end by March at the earliest – pushing further the start of the second semester events. Colegio de San Juan de Letran is the host of NCAA Season 96. The Dominican school, which will celebrate its 400th year in 2021, is already plotting ways to better address the situation.
“We will submit the NCAA continuity plan. Sana within the week, maayos na yan,” said Letran athletic director Fr. Vic Calvo, OP.
To recall, COVID-19 forced the NCAA ManCom to cancel the remaining sporting events of its Season 95 which was hosted by Arellano University on March 19.
Affected sports games were volleyball, beach volleyball, football, athletics, law and soft tennis, and cheerleading, while the completed events were basketball, chess, swimming, table tennis, and demo sports 3×3 basketball./PN
