THE rematch of the UAAP Season 84 men’s basketball championship between University of the Philippines and Ateneo is set on October 16 at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The 4:30 p.m. meeting between the Katipunan rivals will be the first since the Fighting Maroons beat the Blue Eagles in overtime, 72-69, to end a 36-year title drought in an epic Finals decider last May 13 at the same Pasay venue.

The league on Thursday released the full first round schedule, which also features a Philsports Arena swing on October 5, the much-awaited return to the Smart Araneta Coliseum on October 8-9 and a visit to the Ynares Center in Antipolo on October 22-23.

The first rivalry game between Ateneo and La Salle is set at 4:30 p.m. on October 9 at the Big Dome.

Mall of Asia Arena, which hosted the entire men’s basketball and women’s volleyball tournaments in Season 84, will have six playdates.

Action begins on October 1, where UP and La Salle cross paths in a rematch of last season’s Final Four duel at 4 p.m., right after season hosts Adamson and University of Santo Tomas take the floor at 2 p.m.

On the following day (October 2), Ateneo and Far Eastern University, which faced off in the previous tournament’s semifinals, collide at 4 p.m. right after the 2 p.m. showdown between National University and University of the East.

The first quadrupleheader is set on October 5 at the Philsports Arena, starting with the UE-FEU duel at 11 a.m. UP and Adamson clash at 1 p.m., followed by the La Salle-UST game at 4:30 p.m., and the Ateneo-NU tussle at 6:30 p.m.

UAAP Season 85 president Fr. Aldrin Suan of host Adamson, in his online Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum appearance last Tuesday, said that the league will take a break during the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers on November 7-15 and all eight teams will play games during Wednesdays.

“In line with contradicting schedules with FIBA, on Wednesdays all schools will play, on Saturdays and Sundays, only two schools will play. We anticipated the FIBA games already,” said Suan.

The league has penciled December 17 as the latest possible date to finish the basketball season.

After three years, the women’s basketball tournament will finally open on October 1 at the Mall of Asia Arena with an 8 a.m. duel between Adamson and UST, and the 10 p.m. showdown between UP and La Salle.

NU, unbeaten in 96 games, opens its quest for a seven-peat under new coach Aris Dimaculangan against UE at 8 a.m., to be followed by the FEU-Ateneo game at 10 a.m.

All women’s Wednesdays quadrupleheaders will be played at UST’s Quadricentennial Pavillion Arena beginning October 5..

Games October 1

(Mall of Asia Arena)
2 p.m. – AdU vs UST
4 p.m. – UP vs DLSU

Games October 2

(Mall of Asia Arena)
2 p.m. – NU vs UE
4 p.m. – FEU vs Ateneo