Current season, competition or edition: UCAL Season 7 men's basketball tournament | |
| Sport | Basketball |
|---|---|
| Founded | October 8, 2016 |
| First season | 2016 |
| Director | Bernard Yang, Carmelo Navarro, Willy Chan |
| Commissioner | Horacio Lim |
| No. of teams | 10 |
| Country |  Philippines |
| Most recent champion(s) | CEU |
| Broadcaster(s) | Solar Sports Smart Sports |
TheUCAL basketball championship is thebasketball championship of theUniversities and Colleges Athletic League (UCAL). It was first established as theUniversities and Colleges Basketball League (UCBL) in 2016, with its inaugural season opening on October 8 of that year.[1][2]
In 2024, the UCBL would become the basis of the UCAL when it became a fully-fledged collegiate association. The UCBL now operates as the UCAL's basketball championship.[3]
The UCBL was established in 2016 by Universities and Colleges Athletic League, Inc. under president Franklin Evidente. The league put a focus on television coverage with the aim of giving its member institutions more exposure. The league also put officiating as another focal point, by implementing a stricter system.[1] In Season 6, following the formation of the UCAL, the UCBL name was retired and is now referred to as the UCAL basketball championship.[3]
TheCEU Scorpions have the most championships out of all member schools with three while the Diliman Blue Dragons have the second-most with two. TheOlivarez Sea Lions andSan Lorenzo Griffins are the only other teams to win a championship with one each.
| Season (Year) | Champion | Runner-up | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (2016–17) | CEU Scorpions | Olivarez Sea Lions | [4] |
| 2 (2017–18) | San Lorenzo Griffins | CEU Scorpions | [5] |
| 3 (2018–19) | Diliman Blue Dragons | Olivarez Sea Lions | [6] |
| 4 (2019–20) | Diliman Blue Dragons | Olivarez Sea Lions | [7] |
| 5 (2022–23) | CEU Scorpions | Olivarez Sea Lions | [8] |
| 6 (2023–24) | CEU Scorpions | Diliman Blue Dragons | [9] |
| 7 (2024–25) | Olivarez Sea Lions | PCU–D Dolphins |
All games are held at the Paco Arena inManila every Monday and Thursday, with the live telecast of the games are aired on Smart Sports through livestreaming coverage provided bySmart Communications.