Stage set for Next Man cUP

MANILA, Philippines — Up and coming players in the collegiate level will have an opportunity to showcase their talent as 12 schools will see action in the second Pinoyliga Next Man cUP set to begin on Sunday at Enderun College in Taguig City.

San Beda will start its title retention campaign after Clifford Jopia – the Most Valuable Player of the inaugural season – led the Red Lions to the first Next Man cUP championship by beating the Lyceum of the Philippines University Pirates.

“It’s a tournament for Team B, or the third stringers. Magkakaroon sila ng burn time with the staging of the Next Man cUP, a competition for those not being seen in the UAAP and the NCAA,” said Pinoyliga co-founder Benny Benitez during the PSA Forum yesterday.

“We got 12 teams joining this year, teams from the UAAP and NCAA. Ang lalakas ng NCAA teams kasi they are preparing for the Season 100 (in 2024), while on the UAAP side, the balance of power tilted with the emergence of UP,” he added.

Aside from San Beda, also joining this second edition of the Next Man cUP are University of the Philippines, University of the East, University of Santo Tomas and Adamson University from the UAAP, and College of St. Benilde, LPU, Mapua and Emilio Aguinaldo College from the NCAA.

Batangas University and Enderun College complete the cast.