MANILA, Philippines -- Lyceum of the Philippines University will have a big target on its back when the top colleges and universities in the country slug it out in the inaugural season of the Collegiate Center for Esports (CCE) that starts on June 20.

Lyceum, boasting the country's first Bachelor of Science in Esports with tracks on Esports Management and Game and Design Development, reigned supreme over nine counterparts in the CCE Mobile Legends: Bang Bang 5-on-5 Varsity Cup which featured some of the country's best basketball players.

The Pirates were led by their potent varsity basketball squad that time with MVP Yancy Remulla at the helm as they scored a 4-2 win over Mapua University in the best-of-three finale showdown.

This time in CCE's first official season with Galaxy Racer as its official partner, the Pirates are banking on a new wave of student-athletes led by Remarch Eusebio, Ralph Joshua Araz, Paul Adrienne Huang, Mark Kenneth Delos Reyes, Alfonso Clemence Sales and Marc Joseph Balcita.

Tipped to give Lyceum a run for its money are Colegio de San Juan de Letran and Mapua.

Lance Justin Hernandez, Roberto Lordan Jr., Earnold Alleson Feir, Lean Marcus Bigueras, Charles Emmanuel Sy and Deneil Jay Dela Cruz make up the Mapua team, while Letran is bannered by Matthew Viray, Joshua Dave Dasigao, Mark Raphael Arellano, Rafael Carlos Silvestre, Rov Jupiter Valles, Ryan Christopher Portento and Samantha Shane Singh.

University of Perpetual Help System Dalta looms as the dark horse after bagging the CCE Mobile Legends Bang Bang (MLBB) 1-on-1 Exhibition Match title also last year behind Jasper Cuevas.

Perpetual will be banking on Ralph Cauguiran this time around along with Altas basketball stud Kyle Cuevas, Jun Roque, Shawn Micahel Rey Orgo, Steve Flores and Angelo Gelsano to get the job done in the 5-on-5.

Though they fell short in both the 1-on-1 and 5-on-5 CCE launching events last year, San Beda University, Arellano University, De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (CSB), Mapua University, Jose Rizal University and San Sebastian College-Recoletos vow to wage an all-out fight in a whole different arena this time featuring their own promising bets.

Zhyruzz Karl Asistin, Zhyrence Karl Asistin, Allen Eyrish Garcia, Carl Danrev Lucero, Timotheo Ryan Salgado, Nathaniel Halagpas and Patrick Erick Isip compose the Arellano team; San Beda has Khristian Jade Jimenez, Matthew Tolentino, Jeremiah Tibay, Josh Kenneth Yazon, Lloyd Jon Sarmiento and Johnrey Daquil; while Jorenz Louie Denosta, Ken Ceron , Kiele Bien Marin, Antoine Abcede, Miguel Diaz and Mark Asuncion lead San Sebastian.

Laurence Ong, Kime Benjamin Revaula, Kyle Ashley Malate, Carlo Kael Monton, Joshua Niño Uy, and Juabe Rigor headline Emilio Aguinaldo College; while Leonardo Sison, Yuri Efraim Casabuena, Kelvin Kurt Javier, Alexandre Gabrielle Laverez, Mark Jeffrey Marjolina, Jeffery Yu and Leonard Van Jaboli spearhead CSB, which also has Esports programs like Bachelor of Science in Interactive Entertainment and Multimedia Computing, Major in Game Development and Major in Game Art.