DESPITE more and more players getting into the sport, the choices for players who want to pursue football in college in Cebu just got slimmer after the University of Cebu (UC) dropped its collegiate football program for the new Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. season.
The absence of UC, which won the 2010 and 2015 college crowns under Glen Ramos, leaves only four schools with collegiate football programs–the University of San Carlos, University of San Jose-Recoletos, University of Southern Philippines Foundation and newcomer University of the Philippines, which joined the league in 2022.
UC is the latest Cesafi member to drop its football program after the University of the Visayas, which didn’t reinstate its football program post-pandemic. The Cebu Institute of Technology-University also had a college football team before folding almost a decade ago.
USC owns the most title with nine, having won the previous six editions, while USJ-R has eight (2001 to 2004, 2007 to 2009, 2012-13). Aside from the two, the other two previous winners are UC and UV.
On Sunday, USPF will square off with USJ-R, while UP opens its season against juggernaut USC.
In the high school division, USJ-R will take on Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu, while defending champion Don Bosco Technological Center takes on USC-BED.
Tournament manager Francis Ramirez said both divisions will use the double round robin format with the team that wins getting the crown automatically, with the Nos 2 and 3 fighting for second. Barring that, the finals will pit the top two teams.