UAAP Season 82 Seniors to be Granted Eligibility for Season 83

Imagine this: You've decided to return for your final year in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) and two games into the first elimination round, the league postponed the rest of the scheduled games before canceling the entire season. All of that because of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic that stopped not just games but the careers.

With the second-semester events of the UAAP Season 82 scrapped out, that ended the collegiate career of UAAP seniors like Kat Tolentino of the defending champions, Ateneo Lady Eagles. The good news for Tolentino and other seniors who are supposed to finish their playing years in Season 82, the UAAP board has approved the decision that will allow seniors of Season 82 to return for one final run in Season 83.

According to UAAP Board Member Rod Roque of the University of the East, the league will allow graduating players to play in Season 83 if and only if the said players will fit the criteria set by the league. First off, a player must not be over the age of 25 years old when Season 83 comes around. This criteria already crosses Tolentino out in the running as she just turned 25 last January. In the second criteria, a student-athlete is required to be enrolled to a degree. If the student-athlete has already graduated, he/she can enroll for a second degree or enter the graduate school of that member school. The board reiterated that any student-athlete who is supposed to play out his/her final year in the abruptly ended Season 82 can only return for Season 83 if both criteria are met and if they haven't used up all of their five years of eligibility in the league. 

This is good news for seniors who missed an opportunity to close out their collegiate careers in their own terms and regardless of when Season 83 happens, they are given one more year for a final run as long as they meet both criteria set by the UAAP. 

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