Is San Beda joining UAAP ?

There is talk that the UAAP Board of Trustees, composed of school presidents, will decide on whether or not to welcome San Beda University into the league in a meeting next month. It’s no secret that San Beda has knocked on the UAAP’s door for years but what’s curious is why it’s taking this long to determine the viability of participating.

FEU is next season’s UAAP host and it appears a schedule has been prepared for men’s basketball to accommodate a ninth team without extending the calendar. The only adjustment may be to play four games on a Wednesday so that’s not a major impediment. The notion that UAAP must take in two schools for an even number to expand apparently isn’t a concern. However, another school CEU has sent feelers that it’s interested to join UAAP although the intent hasn’t been formalized.

From every indication, expanding the UAAP from eight to nine schools won’t be a logistical issue. But if San Beda joins UAAP, what will happen to NCAA? Perhaps, CEU could take San Beda’s spot in NCAA from UCAL? The problem is CEU thrives because the school has a knack of recruiting quality FSAs and NCAA doesn’t allow imports.

At the moment, San Beda has no FSA. But if it jumps to UAAP, the school will be allowed to enlist two FSAs starting this season. NCAA put a stop to recruiting FSAs in 2022 so it will be a restart for San Beda if the Red Lions enter UAAP. San Beda had a rich history of bringing in top-tier imports like Sam Ekwe, Donald Tankoua, Ola Adeogun and Sudan Daniel in the past so it shouldn’t be a problem to find new FSAs.

UAAP’s decision to allow two FSAs per school has its pitfalls. The word is the Board of Trustees initiated the discussion on reviewing the FSA rule after NU’s Mo Diassana went down with a season-ending injury during the Bulldogs’ first game in 2024. The Board of Managing Directors had no issues retaining the one FSA rule but suggested two FSAs on the Trustees’ inquiry in light of NU’s tragedy in Season 87.

It’s still not sure how to use two FSAs. Is it an option or is it mandatory for schools to hire two imports? With two imports, UAAP will allow a 17-man lineup instead of 16. If it’s an option and a school will enlist only one FSA or none at all, will the limit be 17 or 16? With two imports, will a school be permitted to alternate one over the other on a game-to-game basis and if so, how long before a game is a team allowed to decide and announce which FSA to employ? Recruiting two imports will mean an increase in team budgets and if it’s a nightmare to deal with one FSA, imagine how difficult it will be with two. How will this impact on the development of local players? Unfortunately, UAAP has taken a step back in its evolution as a league for student athletes by allowing a second FSA. Someone should remind UAAP it’s not a pro league and not in competition with PBA.