Cesafi staging SM Seaside Arena games if sponsors come on board

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (Cesafi) fans may soon get the chance to watch games at the world-class SM Seaside Arena Cebu.

Longtime Cesafi commissioner Felix “Boy” Tiukinhoy said the league is open to staging games at the newly completed 16,000-seat venue, provided sponsors are willing to shoulder the hosting costs.

However, Tiukinhoy stressed that the Cebu Coliseum will remain the primary venue for Cesafi’s flagship basketball tournament in both the college and high school divisions.

READ: Cebu to host historic FIBA Women’s Asia Cup in 2027

With the sports and entertainment community eagerly awaiting the opening of the SM Seaside Arena Cebu, many fans have been wondering whether Cebu’s premier inter-school basketball league would eventually bring its games to the state-of-the-art facility.

Welcome idea

Tiukinhoy told CDN Digital that Cesafi welcomes the idea, particularly for marquee matchups and the championship series, as long as sponsorship is secured.

“As you can see, Cesafi will always be played at the Cebu Coliseum considering that one of our member schools owns the venue. But we are very open to holding the games at the SM Seaside Arena, especially the finals. If there are people willing to sponsor the finals, then we are very willing to accept it,” said Tiukinhoy.

Even before the arena’s completion, many Cebuano basketball fans had already envisioned watching classic Cesafi rivalries on the same stage as major national tournaments.

READ: Gilas Pilipinas Cebu bid delayed due to booking scheduling woes

Dream matchups

Among the dream matchups are the storied clashes between the University of the Visayas Green Lancers and the University of Cebu Webmasters, as well as the reigning champion Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu Magis Eagles defending their crown.

Fans also hope to see the rest of the Cesafi member schools compete in the modern venue, similar to the atmosphere of UAAP and NCAA games held at the Mall of Asia Arena and Smart Araneta Coliseum in Metro Manila.

In fact, it’s not just Cesafi that Cebuano basketball fans want to see at the arena, but also the Cebu Greats in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) and the Gilas Pilipinas.

So far, one confirmed tournament, the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup is scheduled to happen at the arena in July 2027 where 16 teams from around Asia will compete.

Meanwhile, the Gilas Pilipinas game will likely happen in February if plans from the Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas (SBP) pushes through to convince FIBA to hold the last qualifying window of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers at the SM Seaside Arena Cebu.

The upcoming Cesafi season opens on August 29 at the Cebu Coliseum.

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