PBA Analysis: Is it time for a HOME-and-AWAY format in the league?

 

The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is open to expanding its team count to potentially 16, provided that the league's television partner can accommodate the additional games. This sentiment was expressed by PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial after his recent appearance at the PSA Forum. Marcial emphasized that expansion is contingent on the television partner's willingness to broadcast games on a broader schedule, not limiting them to three times a week.

Under the current schedule, the PBA's regular games are held on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, with Saturdays usually reserved for out-of-town matches. With Season 48 set to commence on October 15 with the Commissioner's Cup, the league is reflecting on the possibility of increasing its team count beyond the existing 12.

The PBA last expanded its roster of teams in 2014, welcoming Blackwater and Kia (now Terrafirma) to the fold. While both teams have yet to secure a championship, discussions about further expansion have been ongoing.

Blackwater team owner Dioceldo Sy has been an advocate of introducing more teams into the league. He envisions potential expansion in regions such as Mindanao and Visayas. Sy proposed that the new KJC King Dome, a massive 75,000-seater gym in Davao owned by Kingdom of Jesus Christ Filipino pastor Apollo Quiboloy, could potentially house teams from Davao, Cagayan de Oro, General Santos, or Zamboanga.

Visayas is also seen as a promising arena for the PBA's growth, with a basketball arena under construction in Cebu by the prominent mall chain SM. Locations like Iloilo and Bacolod are also being considered.

As basketball in Metro Manila is already saturated, Sy believes that holding PBA games in different locations is a strategic approach. This move could facilitate a home-and-away format, allowing the league to collaborate with host cities that possess suitable arenas. This would also address the fact that the PBA's primary courts in Metro Manila are frequently utilized for concerts and other events.

In my opinion, I think a home-and-away format between local teams will be too complicated for the PBA with its current culture and system.

I think it will be much easier and effective if they will just do it with their invited foreign teams and get that effect by letting those foreign teams have home games during the playoffs.