NCAA Likely to Include Esports for Season 96

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has already canceled the remaining second-semester events of Season 95 and the opening of Season 96 is looking to be in jeopardy as well as this pandemic isn't looking to be solved any time soon. And with the league not even counting the possibility of canceling Season 96 if no vaccine is available by then, collegiate basketball, as well as other sports, aren't going to happen this year. 

Fortunately, the NCAA is looking at an alternative: the possibility of including esports in the games. 

Yes, the league is said to be considering the inclusion of sports in this year's NCAA events where student-athletes will be playing games like NBA 2K and even, Mobile Legends. And like what some of the National Basketball Association (NBA) stars have done recently where they were pitted against each other in a virtual playoff, we'll potentially witness each NCAA team having a representative to play in the virtual tournament which makes sense because even if the national government allows the resumption of holding sports events such basketball games, the risk of getting infected by COVID-19 will always be a problem without the vaccine. And yes, online chess is also a front-runner for this year's games. 

If the NCAA does go on to include esports in its events this year, it will be a big boost not just in terms of ensuring the health and safety of the student-athletes but more importantly, it will strengthen the country's status as one of the esports powerhouses in the Southeast Asian region. After all, Sibol, our national esports team who claimed two gold medals in last year's inaugural run of esports in the Southeast Asian Games. Who knows? Sibol might need to open up a few roster spots if and when the NCAA esports is a success.   

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