Asiabasket NSAC 2026 Goes Campus-Wide

The 2026 edition of Asiabasket’s NSAC College Basketball Campus Tour is shaping up to be a much bigger and louder tournament than last year, with 16 teams, more host schools, and a format built to bring the action closer to the campuses that give Philippine college basketball its identity.

Set from April 11 to May 24, with the finals closing the tournament, this year’s NSAC will feature a deep field that includes Adamson, Arellano, Ateneo, College of Saint Benilde, La Salle, FEU, Lyceum, Mapua, NU, Letran, Perpetual Help, San Beda, San Sebastian, St. Claire, UP, and UST.

Games will be played at San Beda University, Ateneo’s Blue Eagle Gym, the UP Diliman Varsity Training Center, the UPHSD Gymnasium, the CSB Sports and Dorm Complex, and DLSU’s Villavicencio Court at the Enrique Razon Sports Complex.

For league founder Jai Reyes, the biggest difference this year is clear. The tournament is expanding both in size and in atmosphere.

“We have 16 teams this year from the top basketball programs in the country,” Reyes said in an exclusive interview. “Also, more schools will be involved in the campus tour to maximize the home court atmosphere.”

That home court element appears to be at the center of what Asiabasket wants this tournament to become. More than just an offseason competition, NSAC is positioning itself as an event that allows schools to host, fans to gather, and rivalries to take on a more personal feel inside familiar gyms.

Reyes said the appeal for participating schools starts with the level of competition. With many of the country’s strongest collegiate programs in one event, teams are getting a chance to face quality opponents outside their usual leagues, while also enjoying the rare opportunity to play meaningful games in front of their own communities.

“I think the top teams just want to compete against the best there is especially outside of their home leagues,” Reyes said. “Playing in their home courts is something new and exciting. The vision is to be close partners with the schools through sharing league revenue with them.”

That last point may be one of the tournament’s most important selling points. According to Reyes, the schools are not simply lending their venues. They are part of the event model itself. Ticket sales will largely go to the host schools, giving students, alumni, and supporters a direct way to back their programs while watching live games.

The NSAC campus tour will move through courts that already carry history, school pride, and built-in fan bases. Reyes said that is exactly what the league hopes to tap into.

“We hope students and alumni come out to help their team defend home court,” Reyes said. “Ticket sales mainly go to the schools also so not only do they get to enjoy the games, they also get to help their teams in a tangible way.”

Among the new venues, some matchups already stand out. Reyes pointed to Ateneo’s Blue Eagle Gym as one of the fresh stops on the tour, adding that it will host a game with extra weight for fans in Katipunan.

“Blue Eagle Gym is also a new venue and the Battle of Katipunan will be played,” Reyes said. “It’s been a long time since the Battle of Katipunan has been played in Katipunan.”

That detail alone speaks to the kind of atmosphere the tournament is hoping to create. College basketball in the Philippines has always drawn much of its energy from school-based identity, and the chance to bring key games back to campus gives the NSAC a different feel from a standard preseason event.

As for the players, Reyes stopped short of naming specific stars, but made it clear that the level of talent will match the profile of the schools involved. He said fans should expect the same names they are looking forward to seeing in the regular collegiate season, along with some players who are still in residency but already part of their teams’ plans.

“Wait for the lineup releases from Asiabasket,” Reyes said. “But all the stars expected to play in their home leagues will be playing. Even players who are serving their residency are in the lineups.”

That should only add to the intrigue around the tournament, especially for fans eager to get an early look at contenders, rising prospects, and new combinations before the main collegiate wars begin.

The presentation around the event is also expected to add to its reach. Part of the broadcasting team that will call the games includes Naveen Ganglani, Nico Rocha, and CK Montenegro, with more names still to be announced.

In many ways, the 2026 NSAC College Basketball Campus Tour is leaning into what makes the sport compelling in the first place. It has strong teams, recognizable venues, and the promise of matchups that feel more alive because they are being played where students and alumni can truly claim them as their own.