Innovation in PBA format

The Governors’ Cup will mark its return to the PBA calendar this season and the conference, which starts on Aug. 18, is set to unveil a brand new format with the league’s 12 teams split into two groups in the eliminations. Last season, the PBA staged only two conferences, the Commissioner’s Cup won by San Miguel Beer and Philippine Cup won by Meralco, as it reduced its schedule to clear the way for Gilas’ participation in international competitions. The previous Governors’ Cup champion was TNT in 2022-23 when the Tropa defeated Ginebra, 4-2, in the Finals.

PBA deputy commissioner Eric Castro said the groups were determined by the Z system using the order of finish last season with team rankings based on 40 percent of the Commissioner’s Cup and 60 percent of the Philippine Cup. he ranking is as follows: an Miguel Beer, Meralco, Ginebra, Magnolia, Rain or Shine, TNT, NLEX, NorthPort, Phoenix, Terrafirma, Blackwater and Converge. So it would be San Miguel first in one group then Meralco first in the other group and Ginebra second in San Miguel’s group, Magnolia second in Meralco’s group onwards, following the Z pattern. The groupings are San Miguel, Ginebra, Rain or Shine, NLEX, Phoenix and Blackwater on one bracket and Meralco, Magnolia, TNT, NorthPort, Terrafirma and Converge in the other. The Z system assures an objective and non-arbitrary ranking system.

Castro said teams will play their groupmates twice in the eliminations or 10 games for each team. After playing 10 games, the top four teams in each group advance to the quarterfinals. The fifth and sixth teams in each group are eliminated. There will be no playoffs in case of a tie and the PBA quotient system will be applied, figuring the scores only of the teams in a deadlock. The quarterfinals will feature four best-of-five cross-pairing series where No. 1 plays No. 4 and No. 2 faces No. 3. Winners will advance to the best-of-seven semis and the finals will also be a best-of-seven affair.

Under this system, Ginebra’s Justin Brownlee and Meralco’s Allen Durham won’t match up until the playoffs if the cards fall to arrange their pairing.

The coming season will return the three-conference format. The Governors’ Cup is set to end before the next FIBA Asia Cup qualifying window where Gilas meets New Zealand on Nov. 21 and Hong Kong on Nov. 24, both at home. Then, the Commissioner’s Cup will begin in late November or early December. The PBA will arrange the second conference schedule to allow for San Miguel Beer and Meralco to play home-and-away games in the EASL which opens its next season on Oct. 2.