History of NCAA basketball championships (Philippines) in Timeline

NCAA basketball championships (Philippines)

The NCAA basketball championships in the Philippines consist of two tournaments: a seniors' division for male college students and a juniors' division for male high school students. Winning both tournaments in the same season is referred to as achieving a "double championship."

1924: NCAA Foundation

In 1924, the NCAA basketball championship was founded and continually contested, marking the beginning of the association's basketball legacy.

1925: Double Championship

In 1925, a school was said to have won the double championship when it won both the Juniors (or Midgets pre-1925) and Seniors tournament 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 of 71 points.

1974: Lim Eng Beng's Record-Breaking Season

In the 1974 season, Lim Eng Beng of the De La Salle Green Archers scored 55 points in an NCAA seniors' game, which is the most points ever scored in an NCAA seniors' game. He led the De La Salle Green Archers to the championship and scored an average of 32 points in that season, which remains the all-time record in average points per game in Philippine Men's NCAA.

1976: National Inter-Secondary Champion Team

In 1976, some of the Letran team players, who were products of their Varsity High School Team, including Ted McKinney, Ramon San Juan, and William Alberto, were part of the National Inter-Secondary Champion Team held in Baguio City. They beat their NCAA rival San Beda College with a score of 52-51.

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, all NCAA member schools have fielded their varsity teams in a double-round elimination tournament, where each school plays 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 remained stable, with exceptions for tie-breaking mechanisms like one-game playoffs or elimination round results.

September 5, 2008: Keith Agovida's High Score

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

2008: Finals Best-of-Three Series

Until 2008, the NCAA finals were 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 Game

In 2009, Joshua Saret of the JRU Light Bombers scored 89 points against the AUF Baby Danes, breaking the all-time high mark set by ex-teammate Keith Agovida.

2010: Thrice-to-beat Advantage

Since 2010, in the NCAA, a team who sweeps the elimination round will automatically go to the finals with a thrice-to-beat advantage and a 1-0 edge over their opponent, meaning their opponent needs to beat them thrice, while the team who sweeps the 2-round elimination will just have to beat their opponents twice.

2019: Separate Award Category for Foreigners

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

2020: Rosters Restricted to Filipinos

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

2020: Championship Cancelled

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

2021: NCAA Season 97 Postponed

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: Championship Cancelled

In 2021, the NCAA basketball championship remained cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2021: Special Tournament Format

The 2021 NCAA tournament, held in early 2022, featured a special format with only one round of eliminations and a play-in tournament for teams finishing third to sixth, followed by the regular Final Four format.

2022: NCAA Season 97 Postponement and Season 98

In early 2022, NCAA Season 97, originally meant for 2021, was played after being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while the juniors' tournament was cancelled. Later in 2022, the men's tournament of NCAA Season 98 was held from September to December, followed by the juniors' tournament from January to March.

2022: Special Tournament Format Held

In early 2022, the 2021 NCAA tournament was held. It featured a special format with only one round of eliminations and a play-in tournament for teams finishing third to sixth, followed by the regular Final Four format.

2023: Schools Able to Win Double Championship

As of 2023, only seven schools were able to win the double championship in the NCAA.

2024: Double Round Elimination Tournament

Until 2024, all NCAA member schools have fielded their varsity teams in a double-round elimination tournament, where each school plays each other twice. The top four teams advance to the crossover semifinals, known as the Final Four.

2025: Return to Concurrent Tournaments

In 2025, NCAA Season 101 will see the return to both the men's and juniors' tournaments being held concurrently, reverting from the schedule implemented after the COVID-19 pandemic.

2025: Tournament Format Modification

In 2025, the NCAA announced a modification of 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: Three-Year Trial Period

The current NCAA format is in a three-year trial period that will be used until Season 103 (2027–28) to evaluate its long-term viability and will be determined if it will become a permanent fixture.