CESAFI bets to battle: NCAA, UAAP squads

In what could be another first in the annals of Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. cage wars, the CESAFI collegiate basketball teams will play crossover games against their Manila counterparts from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and Universities Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) this 2005 season.

This is part of the proposed format for this year's Collegiate Champions League (CCL), an annual search for the best collegiate basketball team in the country conceptualized by former national coach Joe Lipa in 2001.

Each team will play a maximum of two crossover games. The results of the crossover games together with the results of games in their respective mother league will count in determining whether a team qualifies to vie for the Top Eight slots in the CCL.

Out of the 16 qualified teams in the tournament, only five will earn automatic entry to the Top Eight - the NCAA champion and runner-up, the UAAP champion and runner-up and the CESAFI champion.

The remaining 11 qualified teams from NCAA, UAAP, CESAFI and other NCR and regional collegiate leagues will vie for the remaining Top Eight slots via knockout games.

All teams that will advance to the quarterfinals (Top Eight) of the tournament will be entitled to receive scholarship funding and athletic grants in varying amounts depending on the final rankings.

Now on its fourth year, the Collegiate Champions League conducts an yearly search for the best collegiate basketball team in the country.

16 of the nation's top performing collegiate teams compete in a knockout competition to determine the winner of the Philippine Collegiate Champions Cup. The champion is entitled to a scholarship funding and athletic facilities worth P500,000.

2005 CESAFI season president Jose "Dodong" R. Gullas of the University of the Visayas said he will work out for the crossover games featuring CESAFI teams against NCAA and UAAP squads will be staged here in Cebu.

Meanwhile, preparations are already in place for the opening of the 2005 CESAFI basketball tournament on July 31 at the Cebu Coliseum.

In an unprecedented move in CESAFI history, Gullas revealed they will hold out-of-town games in the cities of Talisay, Minglanilla, Mandaue and Danao and even in the municipality of Bogo, north of Cebu if their schedule permits.

Gullas will also implement anew the home-and-away format in an effort to renew the interest of cage fans to the CESAFI and generate funds as well for the cash-strapped league.

As part of their pre-season activities, Gullas has scheduled a coaches' meeting at the office of UV president Eduardo "Eddiegul" R. Gullas on July 6, two days before the deadline for the submission of team credentials.

Gullas will also invite former PBA chief of referees Romy Guevarra to conduct a one-day coaches and referees seminar/workshop on July 16 with no confirmed venue.

Gullas warned that he will strongly recommend to the CESAFI Board that those coaches who fail to attend the seminar will be barred from coaching in the league this season.