Filoil preseason hoops tiff returns in July

MANILA, Philippines — The Filoil preseason tournament is set to return this July following a three-year absence.

According to tournament director Joey Guillermo, the league already has 16 teams from the UAAP and the NCAA commit to play in the tiff now rebranded as the Filoil Ecooil Preseason Cup.

The tournament serves as a warm-up for both UAAP Season 85 and NCAA Season 98.

Per Guillermo, the tiff will be short as they plan to end the hostilities by August.

The teams in the league will be divided into two groups of eight teams which will undergo a round robin format, with the games happening at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan by mid-July.

Then, top eight teams will be advancing in a crossover playoff.

Joining Guillermo in organizing the tournament is Chairman Rey Gamboa, lead commissioner Joe Lipa, deputy commissioner Bert dela Rosa, and consultant and media head Virgil Villavicencio.

In the last edition of the tournament in 2019, La Salle bested NCAA's San Beda in the championship.