Nearly 8,000 athletes, coaches and officials have been affected following delays in the staging of Season 96 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the postponement of events during the previous season.
Management Committee chairman Fr. Victor Calvo of Season 96 host Letran said this as many member schools decided to make cuts in their scholarships and athletics budgets in the 100 days that lockdowns throughout Metro Manila were imposed.
“Lahat ng schools. This is 50% percent (varsity teams). This is across all NCAA member schools. And this is based on our research,” said Fr. Calvo during yesterday’s weekly online session of the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum.
Calvo discussed the coming season with outgoing Mancom chairman Peter Cayco of Arellano University.
According to Calvo, around 7,985 athletes, coaches and officials were taken off the varsity programs of member schools in their effort to cut their budgets as they coped with the measures done by the government to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
He said the board is discussing the plight of their athletes during their weekly meetings.
“We will see what we can. We will see how we can help,” said Calvo.
For now, Season 96 could be held in the early months of 2021.
And it will depend on the decision of the government and the Interagency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases.
If the IATF gives the green light in October, or November, the league will need three months to prepare their varsity teams.
So far, the IATF is still not allowing many sports activities to take place in the next three months.
Calvo said the league will be strictly observing safety and health protocols when the season commences.
This will be the first time that the league’s opening will be disrupted for a long period of time since World War II.
No venue for the games are available at the moment, with the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila being used a quarantine facilities for the sick, along with The Arena in San Juan, and the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
At the moment, only four mandatory sports events will be held, namely basketball, volleyball, swimming and athletics.
But Calvo added, there is still room to consider the inclusion of e-sports events like Mobile Legends and online chess.
The league has also decided to relax their eligibility requirements for student-athletes, with consideration to those, who have already used up their playing years and those who haven’t.