The said development was announced on Friday which entails that NCAA would honor special guest licenses from the Games and Amusements Board (GAB).

This would allow NCAA players to compete in commercial leagues without foregoing their tickets to play at the collegiate level. 

“Times have changed and this time, with the joint memorandum of the GAB and the PSC, we have to revisit our rules. The NCAA is a living organization and we have to adapt to the spirit of the times,” said NCAA Season 96 chairman Fr. Vic Calvo of host Letran.

“We believe that this move is beneficial to both the athletes and the organization,” added last season’s chair Peter Cayco of Arellano.

Initially, anyone who is playing in the leagues and earning salaries is to be considered a professional, but it is starting to change with the initiative of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and the GAB.

NCAA athletes can now grow more in a competitive environment for they can join professional leagues like Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3, National Basketball League (NBL), Premier Volleyball League (PVL), and the like as long as they secure their special guest license.

“We’re very happy that the NCAA has come forward and reached out to us,” said GAB chair Baham Mitra. “GAB believes in the way the NCAA is run. We have to adapt to the times.”

Unlike the UAAP, everything is possible for the NCAA players as they only need to apply for the license, get approval from their schools, and have a recommendation from the league they are eyeing into.