CESAFI 2013

The Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation (CESAFI) turns 13 years old this season, making it a blooming teen-ager on the verge of getting into the most interesting formative years of one’s life. So where exactly is the CESAFI today? How have the past thirteen years gone by? Is it truly the top collegiate league in the land outside of Manila? Behind only the UAAP and NCAA? As collegiate league, one can’t help but compare the CESAFI to the UAAP and NCAA. After all, these leagues now serve as the benchmark for college sports in the country. Both are rich in tradition and have learned to grow through innovation, upgrades and development. Offhand, the UAAP is now better known more than ever through its being on TV three days a week over TV giant ABS-CBN. Let’s face it, TV is the biggest form of exposure in the entertainment industry and it has now become an SOP if one is to go big time.

If the UAAP and NCAA are up there, I’d like to benchmark the CESAFI with Cebu Boxing. The irony is that both have actually gone through similar growing pains and aches and have sought to become bigger things in the long run. But who’s in better shape today? Cebu Boxing before was almost always a simple local event that had to rely on local sponsors and ticket sales to avoid being in the red. Boxing promoters always lamented how difficult it was to make a profit from an evening of boxing with all the expenses that went along with it. Purses of boxers, transportation, logistics, sanction fees, venue rental and a host of other expenses made it a steep night for promoters like ALA and RWS. It was practically impossible to earn money when a night of boxing was done. Talent was not a problem. Boxers from all over Visayas and Mindanao were aplenty. At the end of the day, the simple love for the sport forced promoters to shell out money to save the sport. Without their deep pockets, none of this would be here today. Fast forward to today and we see a totally different story, don’t we? ALA Promotions has the backing of ABS-CBN and corporate brands are now willing to partner with them. Pinoy Pride is now a regular hit on TV. After over 20 episodes, we can expect more after the ALA-ABS-CBN partnership was extended for another 10 years. Cebu Boxing is not only very much in great financial standing. It’s also a big hit among fans. A similar case study that sounds familiar? The UAAP. It was once a financial headache for school owners, but with ABS-CBN as a partner and an ever growing market, schools are even enjoying bonus income from the partnership.

CESAFI is just like Cebu Boxing and the UAAP of old. Talent is not a problem. The league has produced the likes of Dondon Hontiveros, JR Quinahan, June Mar Fajardo, Greg Slaughter, and a host of other pros (ex or current). Games are played in various sports, and who spends for all these games? If boxing had promoters, the CESAFI relied on the pockets of the school owners and the schools themselves. Expenses were split among all schools in the standard “split the pie equally” set-up. Ticket sales formed part of the income, but this would primarily come from basketball as other events couldn’t generate attractive ticket sales. After 12 years, CESAFI continues to apply the same system. On top of the legal status established in 2000, the influx of talents, the entry of new faces as champions, corporate sponsorship has now come in. But what the CESAFI hasn’t been able to do is match Cebu Boxing’s growth and development on TV. Remember that the product is essentially the same: talented athletes who can create a fan base for being both good and attractive on TV. While Cebu Boxing is now a regular on national TV, the CESAFI still hasn’t been able to land TV screens of our homes consistently. At this point, it isn’t possible to make it on national TV, but a local TV market could be a possible breakthrough. There surely is no problem with the audience. CESAFI games can fill up the Cebu Coliseum especially when crucial games between rivals are played. Have you watched a UV-SWU collegiate game or a UV vs. SHS-Ateneo de Cebu high school finals?

Don’t get us wrong. The CESAFI is stable, strong and is definitely the top dog outside Manila. But it can also become so much more than it is today. Being a teen-ager, is it ready to take that big leap to puberty, to learn more than just the birds and the bees? Is the CESAFI ready to create a brand for itself that it can “sell” to the general public? The CESAFI is no longer a kid in grade school. It’s a teen-ager seeking its identity and should be willing to take a few risks with the goal of growing up.           

Here’s looking forward to seeing the CESAFI grow up through its teen-age years to become a full-blown, grown up and mature adult.

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Time-out: After years of hosting boxing events and concerts, it’s so sad that the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino still refuses to solve its horrible parking problems, especially when paying customers of the parking area head home. It takes forever to get out of the parking building! It makes the Pinoy Pride or concert experience fall short. >>> You can reach me at [email protected].