The NCAA kicked off its 101st season on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The juniors basketball tournament will open on Thursday, with host school Mapua University taking on Lyceum of the Philippines University, and finalist College of Saint Benilde-La Salle Green Hills taking on powerhouse San Beda University at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
This year, the league introduces a new and more exciting format: teams are divided into pools, and all teams will have a chance to advance to the next round via a play-in tournament.
Here’s the new tournament format:
Elimination round
The teams are divided into two groups. Each team will play all the other teams in its own group twice, and teams from the opposite group once, for a total of 13 games per team.
The groupings are based on the seniors’ division pool.
Group A:
- Mapua University
- Lyceum of the Philippines University
- University of Perpetual Help System DALTA
- San Sebastian College–Recoletos
- Arellano University
Group B:
- De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde
- San Beda University
- Colegio de San Juan de Letran
- Jose Rizal University
- Emilio Aguinaldo College
Play-In Round
The two lowest-ranked teams at the end of the elimination round will face off in a play-in game. The winner will earn the fourth seed in their respective group, completing the quarterfinals bracket.
Quarterfinals
The top two teams in each group will have a twice-to-beat advantage heading into the quarterfinals.
The No. 1 team in each group will face the No. 4 team from the opposite group.
The No. 2 team in each group will face the No. 3 team from the opposite group.
(A1 vs B4, A2 vs B3, B1 vs A4, B2 vs A3)
Semifinals
Winners of the quarterfinals will advance to the best-of-three semifinals.
Finals
The winners of the semifinals will face off in a best-of-three finals series.
A third-place game will also be played between the semifinal losers.
Standings
Check out the pool standings soon
Here’s the schedule and results:
October 2, 2025
Ninoy Aquino Stadium
11:00 a.m. – Mapua vs LPU (Juniors)
2:30 p.m. – Benilde vs San Beda (Juniors)
October 3, 2025
Filoil Centre
9:30 a.m. – Perpetual vs San Sebastian (Juniors)
5:00 p.m.– Letran vs JRU (Juniors)
October 4, 2025
Filoil Centre
8:30 a.m. – Arellano vs Mapua (Juniors)
5:00 p.m. – EAC vs Benilde (Juniors)
October 5, 2025
Filoil Centre
9:30 a.m. – LPU vs Perpetual (Juniors)
5:00 p.m. – San Beda vs Letran (Juniors)
October 7, 2025
Filoil Centre
8:30 a.m. – San Sebastian vs Arellano (Juniors)
5:00 p.m. – JRU vs EAC (Juniors)
October 8, 2025
Filoil Centre
8:30 a.m. – Mapua vs Perpetual (Juniors)
5:00 p.m. – Benilde vs Letran (Juniors)
October 10, 2025
Mall of Asia Arena
9:30 a.m. – LPU vs San Sebastian (Juniors)
5:00 p.m. – San Beda vs JRU (Juniors)
October 11, 2025
Mall of Asia Arena
8:30 a.m. – Letran vs EAC (Juniors)
5:00 p.m. – Perpetual vs Arellano (Juniors)
October 12, 2025
Filoil Centre
9:30 a.m. – Benilde vs JRU (Juniors)
5:00 p.m. – Mapua vs San Sebastian (Juniors)
October 14, 2025
Filoil Centre
8:30 a.m. – LPU vs Arellano (Juniors)
5:00 p.m. – San Beda vs EAC (Juniors)
October 15, 2025
Filoil Centre
8:30 a.m. – San Sebastian vs JRU (Juniors)
5:00 p.m. – Perpetual vs Letran (Juniors)
October 17, 2025
Filoil Centre
9:30 a.m. – Arellano vs EAC (Juniors)
5:00 p.m. – San Beda vs Mapua (Juniors)
October 18, 2025
Filoil Centre
8:30 a.m. – JRU vs Perpetual (Juniors)
5:00 p.m. – Letran vs LPU (Juniors)
October 19, 2025
Filoil Centre
9:30 a.m. – EAC vs San Sebastian (Juniors)
5:00 p.m. – Benilde vs Arellano (Juniors)
October 21, 2025
Filoil Centre
8:30 a.m. – Mapua vs Letran (Juniors)
5:00 p.m. – LPU vs JRU (Juniors)
October 22, 2025
Filoil Centre
8:30 a.m. – San Sebastian vs Benilde (Juniors)
5:00 p.m. – Perpetual vs EAC (Juniors)
October 24, 2025
Filoil Centre
9:30 a.m. — Arellano vs San Beda (Juniors)
5:00 p.m. — JRU vs Mapua (Juniors)
October 25, 2025
Filoil Centre
8:30 a.m. – EAC vs LPU (Juniors)
5:00 p.m. – Benilde vs Perpetual (Juniors)
October 26, 2025
Filoil Centre
9:30 a.m. – San Beda vs San Sebastian (Juniors)
5:00 p.m. – Letran vs Arellano (Juniors)
October 28, 2025
Mall of Asia Arena
8:30 a.m. – Mapua vs EAC (Juniors)
5:00 p.m. – LPU vs Benilde (Juniors)
October 29, 2025
Filoil Centre
8:30 a.m. – San Sebastian vs Letran (Juniors)
5:00 p.m. – Perpetual vs San Beda (Juniors)
November 04, 2025
Rizal Memorial
8:30 a.m. – Mapua vs Benilde (Juniors)
5:00 p.m. – LPU vs San Beda (Juniors)
November 5, 2025
Rizal Memorial
11:00 a.m. – Arellano vs JRU (Juniors)
November 7, 2025
Filoil Centre
9:30 a.m. – Mapua vs LPU (Juniors)
5:00 p.m. – Benilde vs San Beda (Juniors)
November 8, 2025
Filoil Centre
8:30 a.m. – Letran vs JRU (Juniors)
5:00 p.m. – Perpetual vs San Sebastian (Juniors)
November 9, 2025
Mall of Asia Arena
9:30 a.m. – Arellano vs Mapua (Juniors)
5:00 p.m. – EAC vs Benilde (Juniors)
November 11, 2025
Filoil Centre
8:30 a.m. – LPU vs Perpetual (Juniors)
5:00 p.m. – San Beda vs Letran (Juniors)
November 12, 2025
Filoil Centre
8:30 a.m. – San Sebastian vs Arellano (Juniors)
5:00 p.m. – JRU vs EAC (Juniors)
November 14, 2025
Filoil Centre
9:30 a.m. – Benilde vs Letran (Juniors)
5:00 p.m. – Mapua vs Perpetual (Juniors)
November 15, 2025
Filoil Centre
8:30 a.m. – San Beda vs JRU (Juniors)
5:00 p.m. – LPU vs San Sebastian (Juniors)
November 16, 2025
Filoil Centre
9:30 a.m. – Perpetual vs Arellano (Juniors)
5:00 p.m. – Letran vs EAC (Juniors)
November 18, 2025
Filoil Centre
8:30 a.m. – Mapua vs San Sebastian (Juniors)
5:00 p.m. – Benilde vs JRU (Juniors)
November 19, 2025
Filoil Centre
8:30 a.m. – LPU vs Arellano (Juniors)
5:00 p.m. – San Beda vs EAC (Juniors)
Seniors games will also be in between the scheduled juniors games. Check this page regularly for updates.
—JKC, GMA Integrated News
