Bolstered by a bevy of collegiate standouts, the SportsPlus MPBL 2026 Season begins on Friday, April 10, with simultaneous doubleheaders at the Caloocan Sports Complex and the Alonte Sports Arena in Binan, Laguna.
The inaugural games pit Pasay against the Mike Phillips-led San Juan at 5 p.m. in Caloocan, and Rizal Province and Cebu encounter at the same time in Binan.
Co-hosts Caloocan and Binan tangle with Quezon City and Gensan, respectively, at 7 p.m.
Reinforced by the 6-foot-8 Phillips, a former Gilas Pilipinas member and UAAP Season 88 Finals MVP, University of the Philippines stalwarts Harold Alarcon, Terrence Fortea, Gerry Abadiano and Reyland Torres, San Beda’s Jomel Puno, and Perpetual Help’s Patrick Sleat, Jearico Nunez and JP Boral, the Knights are solid picks over the Pasay Voyagers, who will depend on Christian Fajarito, National University recruits Steve Nash Enriquez and Mark Parks, and Mapua acquisition CJ Gonzales.
The Caloocan Batang Kankaloo are also favored over the Quezon City Black Bulls, with former La Salle star Kean Baclaan and former Ateneo hotshots Dom Escobar and Kymani Ladi leading the charge.
Quezon City is pinning its hopes on prized finds Pat Buena and Jake Agoncillo, and veteran Rey Publico.
The Binan-Gensan tussle is a toss-up with former University of Santo Tomas hotshot Nic Cabanero, Warren Bonifacio, Kenny Roger Rocacurva, Carlo Lastimosa and Pamboy Raymundo providing firepower for the home team.
Gensan will call on former St. Benilde starter Anton Eusebio, University of Makati’s Nelo Santos, and Lyceum’s Jan Michael Versoza to support Kyle Tolentino, Louie Vigil and Mark Cruz.
Simple opening ceremonies, led by MPBL Commissioner Emmer Oreta, will precede the games to be broadcast by Solar Sports and available on YouTube.
SportsPlus president and CEO Andre Uy will also be present.
Other fresh faces include Ateneo’s Tucker Molina (Abra) and Joshua Lazaro (Zamboanga SiKat), Adamson’s Cedric Manzano (Quezon Province), University of the East’s John Abate (Quezon Province), National University’s Jolo Mendoza (Quezon Province), Mapua’s Drex delos Reyes (Abra) and JC Recto (Mindoro), and University of the Philippines’ Janjan Felicilda.
A total of 28 teams, split into the North and South Divisions, are competing in the country’s largest regional league, founded by sports legend Manny Pacquiao.
Reigning national champion Abra Solid North, which swept the 2026 MPBL Preseason Invitational, is bracketed with San Juan, Caloocan, Ilagan Isabela, Bulacan, Valenzuela, Quezon City, Manila, Marikina, Pasay, Bataan, Pasig, Paranaque and newcomer Meycauayan Marilao.
Back-to-back South Division king Quezon Province will be joined by Batangas, Binan, Zamboanga, Rizal Province, Gensan, Mindoro, Sarangani, Imus, Negros, Cebu, Iloilo, Bacolod and Basilan.
The tournament format calls for a single round-robin elimination phase among the 28 teams entered, with the top eight from each division advancing to the quarterfinal playoffs. The top four teams from the North and South divisions will clash in the semifinal round, with the two survivors to dispute the division title in a best-of-five series.
The North and South titlists will collide in a best-of-seven to determine the 2026 SportsPlus MPBL national champion.
The Abra Weavers swept the Quezon Huskers, 3-0, in the 2025 National Finals and remain the league’s barometer with DJ Fenner, Jake Figueroa, Kascius Small-Martin, Joel Cagulangan and 6-foot-8 Drex Delos Reyes joining reigning MVP Dave Ildefonso, 6-7 Raven Gonzales and Encho Serrano.
