NCAA finds new TV home in GMA

MANILA, Philippines – The National Collegiate Athletic Association has teamed up with leading television giant GMA 7 as it broadcast partner starting in the much-delayed Season 96 even as it stressed it will neither allow practices nor start without a vaccine for COVID-19.

“The NCAA would like to formally announce its choice of GMA Network, Inc. as the league’s media partner, starting with the current Season 96,” said Season 96 host Letran in a statement.

The decision was reached Thursday night in an online meeting presided over by Letran Rector and league president Fr. Clarence Marquez, OP, and Management Committee chairman Fr. Vic Calvo, OP.

“The new partnership commits to ensure that the NCAA becomes the country’s premier interscholastic sports league in the country with the promise of national, local and worldwide audiences through GMA’s formidable multi-media platforms in order to provide the NCAA unmatched reach and scale,” it said.

GMA took over the spot left by rival ABS-CBN, which cut short its remaining contract with the league after it was closed down due to lack of the needed franchise to operate.

The league reportedly chose the Kapuso network over TV5 because the former offered a weekend play dates of Saturday and Sunday since the latter already has the Philippine Basketball Association and University Athletic Association of the Philippines on its plate.

“We will be shown on every Saturday and Sunday plus one weekday play date,” said Calvo.

The contract is reportedly until 2025.

Meanwhile, Calvo reiterated it would not allow its member schools to resume practice or play as long as there is no vaccine to the global health malady to be found.
“No vaccine, no practice,” he said.