PBA format revised next year?

Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner Noli Eala yesterday said he is proposing a radical revision of the league format in a "paradigm shift" that aims to sustain fan interest and improve the quality of competition in a tight eight-month schedule.

Eala told The Star he is submitting a 14-page briefing paper on his proposal to the Board of Governors today and hopes it will be taken up in a formal meeting next week.

The proposal resets the league opening to October and allows for a three-month break from July to September. It guarantees each team a minimum 30 and a maximum of 45 to 50 games a season. Aside from the National Championships, which will be preceded by the race for divisional titles similar to the National Basketball Association (NBA) format, the proposal includes a provision for an Invitational tournament in July.

Eala said the proposal enhances the prestige of a singular championship, provides the momentum for players to build up for the title playoffs without slackening and assures a more relevant approach to each game leading towards the ultimate goal of winning the PBA–or national–title.

The switch to a fiscal calendar avoids scheduling games during the rainy season and makes room for participation in international competitions such as the World Championships, the Olympics, the Asian Games and zonal qualifying tournaments, explained Eala. He pointed out the proposal will not suggest a formula to define the PBA’s possible involvement in international competitions.

As envisioned, the proposed PBA calendar is broken down as follows:

Oct. to mid-Dec.–Division championships; Mid-Dec. to 1st week of Jan.–Break; 2nd week of Jan.–All-Star Weekend; 3rd week of Jan.-May–National championships; Late June-July–Invitationals; July–Draft; July-Sept.–Break (possible international competition).

Eala said the three-conference format has outlived its usefulness and cited that since 1986, the league has historically suffered a decline of 26 percent in attendance from the first to the second and third conference. The staging of a tournament for a single national championship will address the problem of basketball saturation, he noted.

Despite the proposal to hold only the national championships and a one-month Invitationals with at least three foreign squads, Eala said the format guarantees each team a minimum of 30 games and a maximum of 45 to 50.

"The proposal does not diminish the value of a franchise at all," he said. "The formula makes sure that what a team spends will be easily made up by its TV exposure. For instance, with 30 games, assuming an average rating of 4 1 /2 percent, a low of P15,000 for a 30-second spot and 112.5 minutes of exposure a game, a team gains a media value of P70 Million."

Eala said the proposed calendar is flexible and addresses the problem of dwindling attendance by probing into the league’s core structure. "The concept of a multi-title season is passé," he continued. "Fans are now more discerning. They want just one big race for the ultimate championship. As for players, they usually suffer from a roller-coaster season, going from one tournament to another."

Eala said the proposal will sustain fan interest because of the ascending level of competition, will not prevent making incremental sales in terms of advertising due to the divisional playoffs, will not reduce financial benefits for teams and players, and can be adapted easily to changing situations. He called it the result of "progressive thinking."

Eala said the proposal restricts the divisional races to Filipino players but the start of the National Championships will usher in imports with height handicaps depending on how teams fared in the run-up. It’s possible that the PBA will sponsor a camp in the US for coaches to select imports during the holiday break after the divisional championships, he added.

Eala said the proposal was hatched during a two-day, closed-door planning session at the Holiday Inn Galleria Suites in Mandaluyong last month. It was modified in a series of later meetings and refined after a round of consultations with independent sports experts.

Eala said next season’s draft will still be held in January but if his proposal is approved by the Board, the succeeding draft will be scheduled in July 2005.