THE PBA returns to its regular playing calendar as three conferences will be played for the coming 47th season.
PBA format for Season 47
Reverting to the three-conference format was among the matters tackled and approved by the league Board during its compressed, two-day planning session in Boracay over the weekend.
Commissioner Willie Marcial confirmed about staging three conferences this season that kicks off with the Philippine Cup, Commissioner’s Cup, and finally the Governors’ Cup.
The past two years, the league scrapped holding the Commissioner’s Cup following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2020, only the all-Filipino conference was held at Clark, Pampanga after initially holding its lone opening game at the Smart Araneta Coliseum before the COVID-19 stalled the season for seven months, forcing the league to stage the games under a bubble set-up in Angeles City.
In the just-concluded season, the league staged back-to-back conferences, starting off with the Philippine Cup at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig, and later at the Bacolor bubble in Pampanga, and the Governors’ Cup that featured imports with a 6-foot-6 height limit.
Marcial refused to disclose other pertinent details discussed by the board pertaining to Gilas Pilipinas, especially its Asian Games participation, and the second season of the 3x3 pending a virtual presser to be held by the league on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, TNT representative Ricky Vargas was named Board chairman for the fifth straight term.
Terrafirma’s Bobby Rosales also retained his post as vice chairman, while Atty. Raymond Zorrilla of Phoenix Super LPG succeeded Alaska’s Dickie Bachmann as treasurer.
Atty. Melvin Mendoza also remains as corporate secretary and legal counsel as part of the league’s executive committee.
Despite the pandemic, the league’s season-ending conference proved to be a blockbuster especially during the playoffs when Game 6 of the finals between champion Barangay Ginebra and Meralco drew a record crowd of 20,224 at the Mall of Asia Arena.
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