The NCAA liked what it saw and announced on Tuesday that this season’s three guest teams will most likely be accepted as regular members when San Sebastian College hosts the league’s 86th season next year.

Management Committee chair Jose Mari Lacson said that the current 10-team tourney will be retained owing to the tremendous economic boost brought by the inclusion of Angeles University Foundation, Arellano University, and Emilio Aguinaldo College as guest teams.

Lacson said the entry of the three teams that brought to 10 the number of teams competing helped increase the gate attendance in basketball, making the league more economically stable.

“Based sa attendance sa basketball games, we can say that our decision to include three more schools is reaping dividends for the league,” said Lacson, who represents host San Beda in the ManComm.

“Yes, I admit medyo mahaba ang season because of the inclusion of the three schools but these schools also provided more than economic benefits for the league. There is also an increase in the awareness and interest in the league

“Most probably they will be the teams (guest teams) comprising the 10-team field next season,” Lacson added.

Lacson, however, said that although the Great Danes, the Chiefs and the Generals will be given preferential treatment as to their inclusion next year, these schools must comply with the NCAA rule of fielding teams for both the junior and senior divisions in 11 sports competitions.

“Currently, these schools are competing only in six sports. But next year they must participate in all of the 11 sports that is being played in the NCAA,” Lacson said.

The guest teams are competing in basketball, volleyball, swimming, track and field, football and beach volleyball. The other sports in the NCAA calendar are chess, soccer, taekwondo, table tennis, and lawn tennis.

“We want to see a program wherein these schools will be competitive in all the sports that is being played in the league because the league being a collegiate competition is part of the grassroots development of these sports,” Lacson said.