PBA, MPBL, UAAP and NCAA: A Quick Guide to Philippine Basketball Leagues

If you are new to Philippine basketball, the number of leagues can be confusing. On any given week there may be PBA, MPBL, UAAP and NCAA games on the schedule, and each league works a little differently. Here is a short guide to the four names you will see most often.

Overview of four Philippine basketball leagues: PBA professional league, MPBL regional pro league founded 2017, UAAP collegiate association founded 1938 with eight universities, NCAA Philippines founded 1924 with ten schools

PBA: the professional league

The Philippine Basketball Association is the country's top professional league. Its season is split into tournaments called "conferences": the Philippine Cup, the Commissioner's Cup and the Governors' Cup. The Philippine Cup is for Filipino players only, while the other two allow each team one foreign "import." Each conference has its own elimination round, playoffs and champion. Players generally enter the league through the PBA draft.

MPBL: the regional league

The Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League was founded in 2017 by Manny Pacquiao, then a senator, to give local players a competitive league to play in. It is often called a "regional league" because teams represent cities and provinces and play home and away games. The MPBL gained professional status in 2022, and as of the 2026 season it has 26 teams. It has attracted many prospects from the collegiate level.

UAAP: the big collegiate league

The University Athletic Association of the Philippines was established in 1938 and is made up of eight universities in Metro Manila. Its season is counted by number (for example, UAAP Season 89).

NCAA Philippines: the oldest collegiate league

The National Collegiate Athletic Association of the Philippines was established in 1924, which makes it the oldest collegiate athletic association in the country. It is made up of ten private colleges and universities in Metro Manila. Despite the name, it is not affiliated with the NCAA of the United States, so it is often written as "NCAA Philippines."

How to tell them apart on a schedule

Team names: PBA teams carry corporate names; MPBL teams carry city or province names; UAAP and NCAA teams carry school names.
Format: the PBA runs separate conferences in one season, the MPBL runs a long season with home-and-away games, and the college leagues run one basketball tournament per school year.
Standings: always check which league and which conference or season a table belongs to before comparing records.

Following more than one league

Because these leagues often play in the same weeks, it helps to use one place that shows all of them. Kadario's PBA Philippine Cup page has live scores, fixtures, results and standings for the PBA's all-Filipino conference, and the site also covers the MPBL, UAAP and NBA.

Summary

The PBA is the professional league with three conference tournaments, the MPBL is the regional league with home and away games, and the UAAP and NCAA are the two major collegiate associations. Once you know which is which, Philippine basketball schedules become much easier to read.

Sources - Philippine Basketball Association: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_Basketball_Association - Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maharlika_Pilipinas_Basketball_League - University Athletic Association of the Philippines: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_Athletic_Association_of_the_Philippines - National Collegiate Athletic Association (Philippines): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Collegiate_Athletic_Association_(Philippines)

This article was written with AI assistance and reviewed by the Kadario team.