THE National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) will hold face-to-face competition after a two-year pandemic hiatus starting in the first week of March next year with only four events to be played in Season 97 including basketball and volleyball.

“March, first week is our opening,” NCAA Management Committee chair Dax Castellano of host College of St. Benilde on Sunday told The STAR.

Mr. Castellano said apart from basketball and volleyball, the NCAA will hold online chess and taekwondo similar to what it held last year when the league, then hosted by Letran, hosted exclusively only events.

The potential venues being targeted are the La Salle Greenhills Gym and or the Arellano University Gym.

The Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) had given the green light for college teams to hold practices early this month, officially paving the way for resumption of face-to-face events.

But while the league is starting, Mr. Castellano said fans would still be barred from watching games live. “No audience for now, but they can watch games in GMA 7 channels,” said Mr. Castellano. — Joey Villar

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