CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cesafi Season 26 is set to officially unfold on August 29, ushering in another year of competition among the region’s top collegiate and high school athletes.
Basketball deputy commissioner Danny Duran confirmed the opening date to CDN Digital, with the basketball tournament serving as the saeson’s curtain-raiser. The high school and collegiate basketball competitions will kick off the calendar before the remaining 14 sporting events are staged throughout the season.
While Duran has yet to disclose the full schedule as organizers continue to finalize the details, the opening ceremony is expected to return to the New Cebu Coliseum, the traditional venue in recent years.
READ: UCLM Webmasters under Dondon Hontiveros ready for Cesafi journey
The opening program will likely feature the parade of participating schools, grand performances from dance groups representing Cesafi member institutions, and the much-anticipated Miss Cesafi 2026 pageant.
One of the biggest developments during the offseason is the entry of San Roque College de Cebu (SRCDC) into the league. The Greyhounds will make their Cesafi debut in the high school basketball tournament after officially launching their program last April under the guidance of veteran skills coach Jeffrey Codera.
Season 26 follows another memorable campaign that saw the University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers once again edge longtime rivals University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters in a winner-take-all Game 3 before a packed crowd at the New Cebu Coliseum. The victory secured UV its 17th men’s collegiate basketball championship and an impressive fourth consecutive title dating back to 2022.
READ: Cesafi volleyball: Lady Jaguars complete grand slam as UC boys defend crown
In the high school division, the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) Magis Eagles captured their fifth straight championship after completing a sweep of the UC Baby Webmasters.
Volleyball also produced repeat champions, with the University of San Carlos (USC) Lady Warriors successfully defending the women’s crown against the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Lady Jaguars, while the UC Webmasters retained the men’s title by defeating the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) Panthers.
READ: NBA: Porzingis re-signing with Warriors on two-year, $40M deal
Last season also celebrated the 25th anniversary of Cesafi that was highlighted by major activities, and the completion of the much-awaited facelift of the Cebu Coliseum.
Adding to the excitement of Cesafi season 26 is the continued expansion of the Cesafi Esports League (CEL), which now features a regular women’s division in both Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and Valorant competitions.
Read Next
Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.
