National University is out to end six decades of winless campaigns as it guarantees a successful hosting of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 75 which begins July 14 at the Mall of Asia Arena.
“This is the first hosting of National University with our new partners, the SM group of companies. We are all excited,” said UAAP Season 75 president Nilo Ocampo. “We want to show it to our fans, supporters, especially our alumni and make them proud of our school.”
What makes this season’s hosting  special is National U will hold most of its basketball games at the Mall of Asia Arena, the country’s newest sporting stadium.
“We can call this the home of the Bulldogs,” said Ocampo. “Sixty percent of our men’s basketball games will be at MoA Arena.”
With the help of the sports program initiated by National U athletic director Junel Baculi, who is also the league’s secretary-treasurer, the Bulldogs are expected to figure well in other sports aside from basketball.
In Season 74, the Bullpups ruled juniors basketball and the Bulldogs topped the baseball competitions, ending National U’s long dry spell of winning a championship in any sport in the seniors division.
Other teams to watch out for National U are men’s lawn tennis and men’s badminton, both finished second in Season 74, as well as in men’s volleyball, where the Bulldogs won a couple of off-season crowns.
Of course, with the unbeaten championship run in last month’s Filoil Flying V Pre-Season Hanes Cup, National U is installed as one of the pre-season favorites for the crown.
An explosive opening weekend awaits basketball fans, as National U, starring last season’s Most Valuable Player Bobby Ray Parks, takes on University of the East at 2 p.m. right after the hour-long opening ceremonies, while University of Santo Tomas battles Far Eastern University at 4 p.m.
Ateneo’s drive for a fifth consecutive seniors basketball championship starts on the next day, July 15, with a showdown with Adamson at 4 p.m. right after the 2 p.m. duel between La Salle and University of the Philippines.