This year has seen the partnership of the UAAP and Cignal come to life.

From being Fully Alive, Champions for Life back in Season 84 to believing that we Rise as One in Season 85, they have shown how sports can help in nation-building.

In the TV5 Trade Launch held yesterday at the prestigious Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila, both organizations demonstrated their support for one another as they look to provide the best sports offering for Filipino sports fans.

“We at Cignal are truly honored to be partners with the UAAP and work together to bring the action of the best collegiate league to students, alumni, and sports fans,” said Sienna G. Olaso who serves as the FVP/Head - Channels Content Management of Cignal TV, Head of Sports.

While the year is not yet over, Cignal has delivered some of the biggest moments in UAAP history.

After a two-year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its mitigating measures, the return of the UAAP saw the UP Men’s Basketball Team ending a 36-year title drought thanks to JD Cagulangan’s endgame heroics.

It also saw the NU Women’s Volleyball Team snapping a 65-year drought on the back of a season sweep. This was thanks to the dominance of the likes of Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year, and First Best Outside Spiker awardee Mhicaela Belen, Best Opposite Spiker winner Alyssa Solomon, and Best Setter awardee Lams Lamina.

Now in Season 85, Cignal has opened more doors for the UAAP by showcasing games in the women’s basketball division as well as the badminton finals, which saw the NU Men’s Badminton Team and Ateneo Women’s Badminton Team reign supreme.

“We've achieved milestones this 2022 and we remain committed to delivering the thrilling and exciting UAAP games beyond broadcast in 2023,” added Olaso.

“We want to thank the UAAP schools, the BOT, and the BMD and of course the whole UAAP community for an eventful 2022 and looking forward to more success in the coming years.”

During the event, the UAAP was represented by its Executive Director, Atty. Rebo Saguisag, as well as some of its stars in Ateneo de Manila University’s Ange Kouame, NU’s Belen, and De La Salle University’s Fifi Sharma.

The UAAP serves as a platform for the youth to not only demonstrate their athletic abilities but also take charge in helping the country progress.

“Sport allows us to become part of a collegial body and address bigger issues -- it is no doubt a platform,” said Saguisag.

“But the landscape has dramatically changed since the UAAPs inception. It continues to grow exponentially as we speak. Today's fans need sport to meet them where they are.”

When the five-year contract between the UAAP and Cignal was signed in 2020, both parties knew that they would have to be dynamic in terms of adjusting to their communities and requirements.

Without a doubt, it is a partnership that has helped both organizations grow tremendously. It is also one that will only strengthen through time.

“We call our young partnership with Cignal a ‘developmental relationship’ committed to mutual growth in order to expand possibilities,” added Saguisag.

“Cignal, with all their other partners in the top sports organizations here and abroad, allows us to exchange notes and collaborate in order to fulfill that need.”