LA Tenorio wants the PBA opening date moved. The Magnolia head coach said he would rather see Season 51 start in January than on the scheduled March 7, 2027, arguing that four months without games is too long for players and teams.
Tenorio spoke moments after the Hotshots were swept by the reigning champions TNT in the best-of-three Governors’ Cup quarterfinals, losing Game 3, 98-87, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
“Hopefully we play in January, not March 7. I hope so,” he said.
“We’d rather play in January than March 7. March is too long. I don’t think other coaches and other teams will allow that. What a waste, a waste. The momentum of the 50th season was good and then it’s that long. Too long.”
Why the PBA opening date is set for March
The league has already calendared a March 2027 opening for Season 51 to give way to Gilas Pilipinas’ Window 6 campaign in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers in February, which includes a home game in Cebu.
National team duty has reshaped the Season 50 schedule repeatedly. The longest stoppage ran 53 days, when the league paused the season-ending conference last August for the World Cup Qualifiers’ fourth window and the 20th Asian Games in Japan, then resumed last October.
Another weeks-long break is coming, with Gilas set to prepare for Window 5 on November 26-29 in Seremban, Malaysia.
The result is a protracted 2025-26 season. It opened on October 5, 2025, and could end on December 30, 2026, if the best-of-seven Governors’ Cup Finals goes the distance.
Magnolia’s early exit and the idle months
Tenorio said the layoff stings most for teams whose seasons end early, like his own after a quarterfinal sweep. He insisted the result would not have changed his position, and that he would have said the same had Magnolia reached the semifinals.
“Even if we won today, or if we won the quarterfinals, I’ll say the same thing. It’s not for me, it’s for the players. Because of course, the players want to play. And not everyone is in Gilas. I hope so. So that we can keep going.”
Speaking as a Gilas assistant coach, Tenorio noted that only a few PBA clubs actually have players called up for national team duties, leaving most rosters with little to do during international windows.
What Tenorio wants the league to discuss
Tenorio wants the commissioner and team management to open the calendar to coaches, even though the 2027 competitions have already been set.
“Hopefully, Comm. Willie will give us a chance—us coaches to talk about that. And the management, maybe they can talk to them.”
Analysis: the cost of a longer offseason
This section is analysis based on the reported details. The facts point to a scheduling trade-off rather than a dispute over results. The PBA has already absorbed long pauses for national team windows, and a March 2027 start extends that pattern by roughly two more months for clubs whose seasons ended in the quarterfinals.
Tenorio frames the argument around player welfare: players outside the Gilas pool have no games to play, and coaches lose a competitive outlet to measure progress. Whether the league reopens the calendar is a management decision that the coach cannot settle himself.
The original report on Tenorio’s comments appeared in tiebreakertimes.com.ph.
