MANILA, Philippines – In a departure from tradition, the opening ceremony of the UAAP's 79th season will be held ahead of the start of the men's basketball tournament, with host school University of Santo Tomas (UST) holding a simple ceremony at its campus on Saturday, September 3.

UAAP Season 79 president Fr. Ermito de Sagon, OP said UST "wanted to start the season differently," while at the same time promising that it will be a "very simple opening ceremony."

"We noticed that in the past 10 years, fewer and fewer people attending the opening, despite the preparations," he said. "People came inside (the venues) already on the first game, not on the opening."

"So we thought that we should try to make it more interesting," he added.

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The opening ceremony will thus be held at UST's Plaza Mayor, and will be highlighted by the ballroom dancing competition as well as a concert that will be free to the public as well as to the athletes.

De Sagon revealed during last Tuesday's press conference at Novotel that he even suggested that the season be opened by the UAAP Cheer Dance Competition, but was vetoed.

"So we thought of something that will enliven the start of the season," he explained. "Our problem is that we only have basketball in the opening, and this is the opening for the whole UAAP, so we wanted the opening to include other athletes."

Moreover, by holding the opening ceremony ahead of the basketball tournament, there will be no complaints from teams who would have played games after the ceremony.

"Everyone was complaining, 'why is that our team is playing on the first day, after one hour of being tired from standing for the opening,'" de Sagon said.

"So we set the opening aside by itself, so nobody complains. Then the first game will be on the following day," he added.

The last time that the opening ceremonies were held separately from the first day of the men's basketball tournament was in Season 74. Then, host school Ateneo de Manila University opened the season at the Marikina Sports Park.

The men's basketball tournament opens on Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum, with University of the Philippines taking on Adamson University, and hosts UST facing Ateneo.

The opening ceremonies starts at 5:30 p.m.

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