STILL dependent on the COVID-19 situation in the country, the UAAP is targeting for a February 2022 Season 84 opening.

Condition-permitting, the league looks at a full calendar for all sports and having fans in attendance is unlikely.

“I know that the numbers recently are not very encouraging but we still have a lot of time naman and hopefully we achieve some sort of herd immunity,” said UAAP executive director Rebo Saguisag during a recent “The Game” appearance.

“Hopefully, we have a full season for all events but again, conditions permitting tingnan natin we also have to adjust to different scenarios,” he added.

If not, the league is looking to hold only its centerpiece events men’s basketball, women’s volleyball and cheerdance competition in a bubble set-up.

“We are looking at a bubble. It can be argued that sports bubbles are safer,” Saguisag said.

“To manage the expectations of the fans, baka sa TV lang tayo but I guess like sa Olympics, at least natuloy and the world still had a good time,“ said Saguisag.

For the Season 84 to push through, Saguisag said they still have to get the approval of relevant government agencies but this is something that the UAAP is working on.

Consultations are also being done with various government agencies to ensure that the direction they will be taking is in accordance with existing guidelines amid the prevailing conditions with the pandemic.

“The mind-set right now of the league has shifted from being very conservative early on in the pandemic to being more open to the possibility of resuming] a year and a half after,” said Mr. Saguisag.

“We continue to consult with the experts and we talked with the representatives of the other leagues, and we’re happy that the PSC (Philippine Sports Commission), GAB (Games and Amusements Board), and CHED (Commission on Higher Education) helped us in crafting these protocols,” he added.

“We’re working on all the protocols to make sure that each and every student-athlete’s safety and health is ensured.”

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the UAAP was forced to scrap the Season 82 second semester sports and the entire Season 83 tournaments,

If they do resume next year, Saguisag said one of the measures the league is planning is to require the vaccination of the student athletes.

“Vaccines are a game changer. When we go to the IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases), we’ll make it part of our requirements, for everyone involved to be vaccinated,” said Saguisag.