San Beda Gets Automatic Final 4 Slot In The PCCL

San Beda College and Ateneo de Manila University have automatically advanced into the Final Four of the Champions League (PCCL) 2011 National Collegiate Championship by winning their respective leagues.

The Blue Eagles, the reigning national champions, captured their fourth straight University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) at the expense of Far Eastern University while the Red Lions swept San Sebastian College to retain the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

The champions of the country’s premier collegiate leagues are already seeded in the round-robin semifinals.

The Red Lions, who tied the Letran Knights for most titles with 16, are aiming to become the first non-UAAP team to win the national championship. Their best finish was third during the 2009 season.

The Eagles, on the other hand, are hoping to become the first team to win three consecutive national crowns.

The Tamaraws and the Stags, however, will join the Red Lions and the Eagles in the Sweet 16 along with Adamson, University of Santo Tomas, Letran and Jose Rizal University.

Two Sweet 16 slots are also reserved for the finalists of the ongoing CESAFI tournament in Cebu, according to PCCL executive director Joe Lipa.

Under the new format, a team from Visayas and Mindanao is assured of representation in the Final Four.

The other Sweet 16 slots will go to the top two teams in the Metro Manila qualifying games and the regional champions from North/Central Luzon, South Luzon/Bicol, Visayas and Mindanao.