History of NCAA basketball championships (Philippines) in Timeline

NCAA basketball championships (Philippines)

The NCAA basketball championships in the Philippines feature two concurrent tournaments: the seniors' tournament for male college students and the juniors' tournament for male senior high school students. A 'double championship' is awarded when a school wins both tournaments in the same season, marking a significant achievement in Philippine collegiate basketball.

1924: NCAA Foundation

In 1924, the NCAA championship was established and has been continually contested since its foundation, with exceptions for certain events.

1925: Double Championship

In 1925, the NCAA introduced the concept of a "double championship," which is awarded to a school that wins both the Juniors (or Midgets pre-1925) and Seniors tournaments in the same season.

1970: Marlon Bola Bola's Single-Game Record

In 1970, Marlon Bola Bola of the Letran Squires held the single-game record with 71 points.

1974: Lim Eng Beng's Record-Setting Season

In the 1974 season, Lim Eng Beng of the De La Salle Green Archers scored 55 points in an NCAA seniors' game, leading his team to the championship. He averaged 32 points that season, setting an all-time record for average points per game in Philippine Men's NCAA.

1976: National Inter-Secondary Championship

In 1976, some of the Letran team players, including Ted McKinney, Ramon San Juan, and William Alberto, were part of the National Inter-Secondary Champion Team that beat their NCAA rival San Beda College 52-51 in Baguio City.

1980: Tournament Aborted

In 1980, the NCAA tournament was aborted by the Basketball Association of the Philippines.

1997: Double Round Elimination Tournament

From 1997 to 2024, NCAA member schools have participated in a double round elimination tournament, where teams play each other twice. The top four teams advance to the crossover semifinals, known as the Final Four.

1997: Stable Tournament Format

From the end of World War II until 1997, and since 1997, the NCAA tournament format has been relatively stable, with adjustments for tiebreakers, such as one-game playoffs or elimination round results.

1997: Split Season Format Ended

Prior to 1997, when the NCAA had six teams for most of its history, a split season format was used. The winner of the first round would get the first Final berth, and the winner of the second round would get the second Final berth.

September 5, 2008: Keith Agovida scores 82 points

On September 5, 2008, Keith Agovida of the Malayan Red Robins scored 82 points.

2008: Finals Format Change

Until 2008, the NCAA finals were in a best-of-three series, even if a team swept the elimination round. Previously, the first seed held a twice-to-beat advantage in the finals.

2009: Joshua Saret's Record-Breaking Performance

In 2009, Joshua Saret of the JRU Light Bombers scored 89 points against the AUF Baby Danes, surpassing the previous all-time high of 82 points set by his former teammate Keith Agovida on September 5, 2008.

2010: Thrice-to-beat Advantage Introduced

Since 2010, the team who sweeps the elimination round in NCAA basketball will automatically advance to the finals with a thrice-to-beat advantage and a 1-0 edge over their opponent, meaning their opponent must beat them thrice, while the sweeping team only needs to win twice.

2019: Separate Category for Foreign Players

Until NCAA Season 95 in 2019, players of all nationalities were eligible for all awards. However, a separate category was created for foreign players.

2020: Rosters Restricted to Filipinos

From NCAA Season 96 in 2020 onwards, rosters were restricted to Filipino players only.

2020: COVID-19 Pandemic

In 2020, the NCAA championship was interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2021: Postponement of Season 97

In 2021, NCAA Season 97 was postponed to early 2022 due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the juniors' tournament was cancelled.

2021: COVID-19 Pandemic

In 2021, the NCAA championship was interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2021: Special Tournament Format

In 2021, the tournament, held in early 2022, used a special format with only one round of eliminations, a play-in tournament for teams finishing third to sixth, and then the regular Final Four format.

2022: Season 97 Postponement and Season 98 Tournament

In early 2022, NCAA Season 97, initially planned for 2021, was held after being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to the cancellation of the juniors' tournament. Later in 2022, the men's tournament of NCAA Season 98 took place from September to December, with the juniors' tournament following from January to March.

2022: Special Tournament Format in Early 2022

The 2021 tournament, held in early 2022, featured a unique format that included only one round of eliminations, followed by a play-in tournament for teams that finished third to sixth, and then the standard Final Four format.

2023: Schools with Double Championship

As of 2023, only seven schools have achieved the double championship in the NCAA.

2024: Double Round Elimination Tournament

2025: Reversion to Concurrent Tournaments

In 2025, for NCAA Season 101, the NCAA reverted back to holding both the men's and juniors' tournaments concurrently.

2025: Tournament Format Modification

In 2025, the NCAA announced a modification to the overall format of both the men's and juniors' tournaments in response to Metro Manila hosting the 2025 FIVB Men's Volleyball World Championship, which caused the NCAA to delay the opening in October rather than the usual September due to venue availability.

2027: Evaluation of Current Format

Currently, the NCAA's format is in a three-year trial period until Season 103 (2027–28) to evaluate its long-term viability, and a decision will be made on whether it becomes a permanent fixture.