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UAAP hopes new rule on transfers will encourage parity

Article (news)

Camille Naredo

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/172554401224720240904-uaap-season-87-bball-presscon-HO-49.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="UAAP Executive Director Rebo Saguisag during the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Basketball Press Conference at Novotel Manila in Quezon City, September 4, 2024. Handout/UAAP "/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">UAAP Executive Director Rebo Saguisag during the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Basketball Press Conference at Novotel Manila in Quezon City, September 4, 2024. <em>Handout/UAAP </em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA -- The UAAP&#x27;s decision to change its eligibility rules has created plenty of questions even as the league&#x27;s executive director insists that they remain open to discourse from stakeholders.</p><p>Ahead of Season 87, the UAAP announced that they are implementing new rules for players who transfer from one member-school to another. While transferees are required to sit out just one year, they will lose two seasons of eligibility as opposed to just one.</p><p>&quot;You transfer, you sit out one year, and that year will be charged as a playing year, bawas ka. So nag-add lang kami ng isa,&quot; UAAP Executive Director Atty. Rebo Saguisag told ABS-CBN News on Wednesday. </p><p>&quot;If freshman (year is) played, he transfers. He sits out one year, charged as a playing year, dalawa na, so he will have two playing years left. If you transfer as a junior, parang wala na. Wag na. The latest you can transfer is a sophomore, [with] one playing year [left],&quot; he explained.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/2024/9/4/uaap-to-implement-stricter-rules-on-player-transfers-starting-season-87-1242">READ: UAAP to implement stricter rules on player transfers starting Season 87</a></div><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/2024/9/4/uaap-open-to-discuss-new-rules-on-player-transfer-with-cayetano-1624">READ: UAAP &#x27;open&#x27; to discuss new rules on player transfer with Cayetano</a></div><p>Even before the UAAP made the rule official, Senator Pia Cayetano -- author of the Student-Athletes Protection Act -- already warned the league not to &quot;circumvent&quot; the law. Saguisag made it clear that they welcome a dialogue with the senator, who has yet to comment on the new development in the UAAP.</p><p>&quot;Allow us to explain our side from the UAAP collective, and from the member-schools&#x27; point of view also. And hopefully, maybe, we can come up with a win-win solution,&quot; said Saguisag. </p><p>The lawyer is confident that the change in rules still respects the rights of the student-athletes even as it also seeks to benefit the league as a whole.</p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s really to encourage parity,&quot; he said. &quot;Maybe, loyalty is too strong a word.&quot;</p><p>&quot;But [it&#x27;s to] encourage student-athletes to, within reason, to stay with their particular programs. Of course, &#x27;yung freedom to transfer is absolute naman,&quot; he added. </p><div><ivs-player data-ivs-key="e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603" data-ivs-spid="3001339" data-ivs-vid="3067913"></ivs-player></div><script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/loader.js"></script><p>Asked if the rule is meant to discourage players from transferring, after a busy offseason that saw several high-profile names switch schools, Saguisag maintained that it is a &quot;deterrent.&quot;</p><p>&quot;But again, we&#x27;re still open naman to dialogue with the stakeholders,&quot; he said. &quot;Hindi pa naman sarado &#x27;yung usapan. But for now, it is in effect.&quot;</p><p>This means that some of the players who changed addresses after UAAP Season 86 will feel the impact of the new rule, depending on when they enrolled in their new universities.</p><p>After Season 86, the University of the East lost Rey Remogat to the University of the Philippines, while Kean Baclaan of National University and Luis Pablo of UP left for De La Salle University.</p><p>Perhaps the most high-profile departure came just last July, when Mason Amos shockingly transferred from Ateneo de Manila University to rival La Salle in a move that, according to sources, surprised his Blue Eagle teammates and their coaching staff.</p><div><strong>-- Limiting freedom -- </strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1725544038867090524_Tab Topex.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin and La Salle coach Topex Robinson during the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Basketball Press Conference at Novotel Manila in Quezon City, September 4, 2024. Handout/UAAP"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin and La Salle coach Topex Robinson during the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Basketball Press Conference at Novotel Manila in Quezon City, September 4, 2024. <em>Handout/UAAP</em></span></span></span></strong>Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin merely shrugged when asked about the new rule, even as his squad was hit hard by Amos&#x27; transfer.</div><p>&quot;As a coach, it doesn&#x27;t concern me,&quot; the champion coach said. &quot;We&#x27;ll see how it plays out.&quot;</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/2024/7/1/uaap-mason-amos-bids-ateneo-goodbye-1901">READ: Mason Amos bids Ateneo goodbye</a></div><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/01/29/24/uaap-rey-remogat-is-the-newest-up-fighting-maroon">READ: Rey Remogat is the newest UP Fighting Maroon</a></div><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/2024/2/3/uaap-kean-baclaan-is-headed-to-la-salle-2002" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">READ: Kean Baclaan is headed to La Salle</a></div><p>Baldwin doesn&#x27;t think that Amos&#x27; transfer compelled the rule change; rather, it is the &quot;accumulative effect&quot; of the player movement that shook up the collegiate basketball scene ahead of Season 87. But he is not convinced that it will improve the parity in the league, as Saguisag is hoping.</p><p>&quot;No,&quot; Baldwin said when asked, without expounding.</p><p>&quot;I don&#x27;t think it will affect play at all,&quot; he also said. &quot;I think it will affect player movements to some degree, but that remains to be seen.&quot;</p><p>For La Salle&#x27;s Topex Robinson, the question goes beyond the court.</p><p>&quot;At the end of the day, I will respect the rules that the higher ups has made, but me as a human being, it is taking away the freedom for another human being to choose, you know, the freedom to choose, not only where he wants his basketball to go, but also where his future goes,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;You&#x27;re talking about changing not only your basketball but also your education,&quot; he pointed out. &quot;I think it&#x27;s depriving a human being a bigger opportunity that awaits him. &#x27;Yun lang naman ang sa akin, and I&#x27;m speaking as a person and not as a coach, and not as a [representative] of DLSU.&quot;</p><p>&quot;I guess it&#x27;s just limiting the freedom that we all thrive for, we all deserve.&quot;</p>

<p>The UAAP's decision to change its eligibility rules has created plenty of questions even as the league's executive director insists that they remain open to discourse from stakeholders.</p>

The UAAP's decision to change its eligibility rules has created plenty of questions even as the league's executive director insists that they remain open to discourse from stakeholders.