In an effort to adjust to the changing times, the PBA board of governors has approved a new format that could, hopefully, inject new excitement as the pro league celebrates its golden anniversary in 2025.

As the pro league kicks off Season 49 this August with the Governors' Cup, league commissioner Willy Marcial shared that the PBA is veering away from the usual single-round robin format.

Instead, the Governors' Cup, which allows each team to tap a 6-6 import, will feature two groups subdivided into six ballclubs.

"We have a new format that we presented to the board. We have two groups where each team plays its group mates twice," explained Marcial in Filipino.

Squads from each group will face each other twice during the elimination phase en route to a total of 10 games for all teams.

The top four finishers in each group then advance to the crossover quarterfinals. The last two teams from both groups are eliminated outright.

The crossover quarterfinals will be a best-of-five series.

Teams that make it to the Finals Four will play in a best-of-seven semifinal series. The last two survivors will face off in a best-of-seven championship series.

Marcial shared that the league's new look is just the start of the new changes as Asia's first professional cage loop celebrates its 50th anniversary next year.

After the Governors' Cup, the league will have the Commissioner's Cup, where the league welcomes back foreign reinforcements with no height limit.

Season 49 closes with the Philippine Cup.

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