MANILA, Philippines – The state university will host the next UAAP season in true UP fashion. 

The University of the Philippines looks to inject some social relevance in hosting next school year’s UAAP Season 87, slated for September this year.

“As a national university, we just have to emphasize, without diminishing the sheer joy and excitement of the competition – we don’t want to be killjoys – but we would like to insert a bit of social relevance in the league,” said UP president Angelo Jimenez, who received the hosting chairmanship from UE’s Dr. Zosimo Battad in the closing ceremonies of Season 86. 

“We have reached such a profile that we can no longer ignore this power,” said Jimenez, describing the popularity the league has amassed as it enters its 87th year. “We have to give greater value beyond sports.” 

UP has been no stranger to inserting social contexts into the UAAP. Most recently, its street dance performance, which was inspired by concerns on the jeepney phaseout, earned the team a second runner-up finish in last Wednesday’s competition. 

While no socially relevant concerns have been specified yet, Jimenez said the competition will remain as fierce as the past few seasons. 

“We are not going to be killjoys. This is going to be fun. This is going to be as exciting as it ever was,” he said.

Following up on UE’s “Fueling the Future” tagline for Season 86, UP also unveiled Season 87’s theme, “Stronger, Better, Together,” in a call for “harmonious togetherness” among the eight participating schools, according to UP Office for Athletics and Development director Bo Perasol. 

“This is very reflective of what UP would really want the eight schools to be. As one, we can be stronger at serving the Filipino people,” said Perasol. 

There will also be a roadshow that will bring a symbolic UAAP torch to all schools, starting from Diliman up to España. 

UP finished third in the collegiate general championship race in Season 86 with 258 points, trailing behind De La Salle University with 269 points and overall champion University of Santo Tomas with 332.

UAAP’s esports showcase

Smacked between Seasons 86 and 87 will be the UAAP’s first-ever esports tournaments, featuring NBA 2K, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, and Valorant tournaments, UAAP executive director Rebo Saguisag bared. 

According to Saguisag, the esports event was supposed to have been held in the Season 86 calendar, but because of “logistics and internal challenges,” it was moved to a later date. 

“Supposedly, we planned to launch it this Season 86,” Saguisag said in the season’s closing press conference. “The target is now to hold it in between Seasons 86 and 87, so it will be like a purgatory of some sort.”

Before falling out in Season 86, the initial plans were for esports to continue to be part of the events calendar until Season 88. Instead, Saguisag confirmed that they now envision three esports tournaments in the next two seasons.  

“It was intended really to be held in the last season (86), 87, and 88, but what will happen now is that we will have three esports events in the next two seasons,” he said. – Rappler.com