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NCAA introduces new events, changes in Season 95

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Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/sports/07/01/20190701-ncaa.jpg?ext=.jpg"/><figcaption>NCAA coaches pose for a traditional photo during a press conference on Monday at the MOA Arena. Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA, Philippines -- The NCAA opens its 95th season on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena, with the league set to introduce a new event, make changes to its rule book, and officially begin its highly anticipated men&#x27;s basketball tournament. Arellano University is hosting the NCAA season for the first time, on its 10th year as a member of the country&#x27;s oldest collegiate league. Speaking in front of basketball coaches, players, the Management Committee, the Policy Board, and members of the media in a press conference on Monday at the MOA Arena, Arellano chairman Francis Paulino Cayco said this is the start of the commemoration of the league&#x27;s 100th year.The theme for the season is &quot;Kaisa sa Pagkakaiba,&quot; as the league seeks to promote unity in its ranks despite the intense competition among the 10 member schools.&quot;Why did we choose this as the theme?&quot; said Cayco. &quot;Ang NCAA ay para sa lahat. Wala tayong pinipili -- bukas ang liga para sa lahat ng pwedeng makasali dito, bukas ang liga sa lahat ng klaseng tao.&quot; &quot;&#x27;Pag nakita niyo ang composition ng mga teams, ng mga officials, iba-iba ang pinanggalingan,&quot; he added. &quot;With diversity, there is strength, and therefore it will work for the benefit of the league.&quot;<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://sports.abs-cbn.com/ncaa/news/2019/07/01/san-beda-remains-team-beat-level-playing-field-ncaa-58517">READ: San Beda remains team to beat in level playing field of NCAA 95</a></li></ul>Cayco announced that there will be &quot;a lot of innovations and changes&quot; in Season 95. The Management Committee drafted a new set of rules, and the schedule of the tournaments will also be changed due in part to the country&#x27;s hosting of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games later this year.The league also elevated women&#x27;s lawn tennis as a regular sport, with cheerleading following suit next season.Perhaps the biggest change is the introduction of a new sport called &quot;HADO&quot; -- a high-tech game of dodgeball where teams throw virtual fireballs at each other. This will be introduced for the first time in the Philippines via an inter-school tournament. The winner earns a trip to Japan where they will represent the country in the international HADO Finals.&quot;Instead of bringing in e-sports, we were very fortunate enough to stumble on what we call techno sports,&quot; said Dino Laurena of ABS-CBN Sports. &quot;This is an augmented reality sport, and it has the physicality of a traditional sport.&quot;&quot;It&#x27;s easy enough to learn, and we&#x27;re going to bring the HADO gaming set-up so that each of the school communities can see and try for themselves,&quot; he added.Moreover, the NCAA has replaced courtside reporters with campus correspondents from member-schools, who will produce exclusive stories on their teams and athletes for posting on social media and ABS-CBN Sports&#x27; online platforms. Their vlogs will be aired on TV during halftime of games.The league&#x27;s 95th season officially opens on Sunday, with the opening ceremonies scheduled for 11:30 a.m.Filipino rock icon Bamboo and NCAA Battle of the Band winners, led by champions Cherry Band of Mapua University, are set to perform in the opening ceremony.The men&#x27;s basketball tournament kicks off with the showdown between Colegio de San Juan de Letran and Season 94 finalist Lyceum of the Philippines University at 2 p.m., to be followed by the game between hosts Arellano and three-time defending champion San Beda University at 4 p.m. For more sports coverage, visit the <a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com">ABS-CBN Sports website</a>.

The NCAA opens its 95th season on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena, with the league set to introduce a new event, make changes to its rule book, and officially begin its highly anticipated men's basketball tournament.

The NCAA opens its 95th season on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena, with the league set to introduce a new event, make changes to its rule book, and officially begin its highly anticipated men's basketball tournament.

NCAA introduces new events, changes in Season 95

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NCAA introduces new events, changes in Season 95

Camille B. Naredo,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 01, 2019 03:29 PM PHT

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