The Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) is a sports and academic association of 18 schools, colleges and universities in Cebu, Philippines. The CESAFI was established in 2001.

History Before the creation of the CESAFI, there was already a collegiate league in Cebu, named the Cebu Amateur Athletic Association (CAAA), also formerly known as Cebu Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). The league was created sometime in the 1930s and was the country's second college sports league, only preceded by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) which was created in 1924, and way before the creation of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) in 1938. CAAA was regarded as clearly the best college sports league outside Metro Manila and one of the three major college leagues together with the UAAP and the NCAA, both of which are based in Manila. The CAAA has had a rich history from the 1930s until it dissolved in 2000, producing top Filipino basketball players such as Ramon Fernandez of USC, regarded as the greatest Filipino basketball player during the golden years of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) in the 1970s and 1980s, alongside two-time PBA MVP Abet Guidaben, Jojo Lastimosa, Zaldy Realubit, Bernie Fabiosa, and Dondon Ampalayo of University of San Jose–Recoletos (USJ-R). Other collegiate greats who became PBA legends include PBA star Dondon Hontiveros and Biboy Ravanes of the University of Cebu (UC), and Boy Cabahug, Al Solis and superstar Manny Paner of the University of the Visayas (UV).

In 1999, league commissioner Felix Tiukinhoy, Jr. barred a player of Salazar Institute of Technology (now Salazar Colleges of Science and Institute of Technology) on the basis of the said player's eligibility. The following year, 2000, saw another controversy in the high school basketball division. The University of San Carlos, Salazar Institute of Technology, and Don Bosco Technology Center were all tied at second place, with identical 3–2 win loss records, with the second-placed team set to face the University of the Visayas in the finals of the high school basketball division. However, confusions surrounding the quotient system to break the tie between the three teams cost Salazar the second place and, subsequently, a spot in the finals. These events caused the school to file a case against Tiukinhoy and the CAAA. However, a couple of months after the ordeal, the CAAA ceased to exist, and in place came in a new league, named as the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. or CESAFI. The CESAFI was basically the same league but with a different name with the same teams except for Salazar, which was denied entry for the new league. The Southwestern University, who were the champions of the last season of the CAAA in 2000, despite being included in the CESAFI, decided against fielding a team in the new league. However, on 2007, SWU eventually returned to compete in the CESAFI.

In the league's first 9 years, the University of the Visayas was considered to be the league's powerhouse, winning the basketball tournament for 9 consecutive years and was a contender for basically all the sports of the league. However, this changed in the league's 10th season, after the University of Cebu, led by June Mar Fajardo, became the first team other than UV to win the basketball championship. In addition, the University of San Jose–Recoletos won the men's and women's volleyball championship, the University of Southern Philippines Foundation won the athletics championship. The University of Cebu also won the tennis tournament, a sport which UV has also dominated for a long time.

In 2013, a high school basketball player named Scott Aying, son of former PBA player Danny Aying, was ruled ineligible after failing to serve a two-year residency period after transferring from San Beda College to the University of San Carlos. Aying's parents sought legal action against CESAFI and the league's commissioner, Felix Tiukinhoy, Jr. Aying's parents argued that Tiukinhoy and other league officials “wrongfully interpreted the tournament's rules and "unjustly disqualified" our son". The judge later allowed the younger Aying to play, stating that Aying did not violate the league's two-year residency rule.

In 2015, Southwestern University was found to have fielded overaged basketball players in their high school team after it was discovered that nine of its players have submitted the tampered versions of their birth certificates. To avoid inflicting more damage to the school's name, SWU eventually pulled out all of its teams in the high school division and also considered to pull out all of its college teams but decided not to as the school is considered a perennial contender in the college division especially in the basketball championship. The university had also issued an apology to the CESAFI about this incident. However, SWU eventually returned to the high school division the following year.

In the 2018–19 CESAFI season, University of Cebu – Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue Campus became the thirteenth member school to join the CESAFI tournament.

The CESAFI was one of the many sports leagues affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines. The pandemic forced the league to cancel its 2020 and 2021 seasons.

In 2022, the University of the Philippines Cebu confirmed its participation in the CESAFI, becoming its 14th member school. Also in the same year, CESAFI Esports League was also inaugurated. It is the first collegiate esports competition in the Philippines that is under the supervision of athletic directors from CESAFI member schools.

After the 2023-24 season, Southwestern University PHINMA Cobras announced that they're leaving the CESAFI, as it shifts its focus and resources to “developing programs that will improve key services to our students enabling them to have a more enriching learning journey and personal growth experience.”

Member schools

College division There are a total of sixteen member schools in the college division.

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Nickname Population School colors Benedicto College Mandaue 2000 Private, Non-secterian Cheetahs --- Cebu Eastern College Cebu City 1915 Private, Non-sectarian Dragons --- Cebu Doctors' University Mandaue 1973 Private, Non-sectarian White Stallions ~10,000 Cebu Institute of Technology – University Cebu City 1946 Private, Non-sectarian Wildcats ~35,000 Cebu Roosevelt Memorial Colleges Bogo City 1947 Private, Non-sectarian Mustangs --- Don Bosco Technical College Cebu City 1954 Private Greywolves --- Felipe R. Verallo Foundation College Bogo City 1988 Private, Non-sectarian Blue Dragons --- Southwestern University PHINMA Cebu City 1946 Private, Non-sectarian Cobras ~13,000 University of Cebu Cebu City 1964 Private, Non-sectarian Webmasters ~61,000 University of Cebu – Lapu-Lapu & Mandaue Campus Mandaue City 1995 Private, Non-sectarian UC–LM Webmasters University of San Carlos Cebu City 1595 Private Warriors ~27,000 University of San Jose–Recoletos Cebu City 1947 Private Jaguars ~14,000 University of Southern Philippines Foundation Cebu City 1927 Private, Non-sectarian Panthers ~18,000 University of the Philippines Cebu Cebu City 1918 Public Fighting Maroons ~2,000 University of the Visayas Cebu City 1919 Private, Non-sectarian Green Lancers ~35,000 Velez College Cebu City 1966 Private, Non-sectarian Velezians ~35,000

High school division There are thirteen member schools in the high school division. All ten schools in the college division have a team in the high school division. Sacred Heart School – Ateneo de Cebu, as a K-12 school, is the only member without an affiliated team in the college division, while Velez College does not have a high school division affiliate.

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Nickname Population School ColorsBenedicto College Mandaue 2000 Private, Non-secterian Baby Cheetahs --- Cebu Doctors' University Mandaue City 1975 Private, Non-sectarian White Stallions ~17,500 Cebu Eastern College Cebu City 1915 Private, Non-sectarian Baby Dragons --- Cebu Institute of Technology – University Cebu City 1946 Private, Non-sectarianJunior Wildcats --- Cebu Roosevelt Memorial Colleges Bogo City 1947 Private, Non-sectarian Baby Mustangs --- Don Bosco Technology Center Cebu City 1954 Private, Salesian Baby Greywolves --- PAREF Springdale School Cebu City 1996 Private, Opus Dei Titans --- Sacred Heart School – Ateneo de Cebu Mandaue City 1955 Private, Jesuits Magis Eagles --- San Roque College De Cebu Liloan 1992 Private, Non-sectarian Greyhounds --- Southwestern University PHINMA Cebu City 1946 Private, Non-sectarian Baby Cobras --- University of Cebu Cebu City 1964 Private, Non-sectarian Junior Webmasters --- University of Cebu – Lapu-Lapu & Mandaue Campus Mandaue City 1995 Private, Non-sectarian UCLM Junior Webmasters --- San Carlos School of Cebu Cebu City 1595 Private, Society of the Divine Word Baby Warriors --- University of San Jose–Recoletos Cebu City 1947 Private, Augustinian Recollect Jaguar Cubs --- University of Southern Philippines Foundation Cebu City 1927 Private, Non-sectarian Baby Panthers --- University of the Philippines High School Cebu Cebu City 1918 Public Junior Fighting Maroons NA University of the Visayas Cebu City 1919 Private, Non-sectarian Baby Lancers ---

Guest members Institution Location Founded Affiliation Nickname Population School colors City of Bogo Science and Arts Academy Bogo, Cebu 2012 Public Trailblazers NA The Sisters of Mary School-Boystown Minglanilla, Cebu 1992 Private, Sisters of Mary Aloysians 2,200

Venue The Cebu Coliseum has been the traditional venue for the basketball tournament of CESAFI.

Events The CESAFI sets itself apart from other Philippine inter-school leagues as aside from its sporting events, it also holds academic and cultural events, which are contested and participated by all of its member schools. As of 2018, CESAFI has 15 sporting events, and 14 academic and cultural events.

Sports The league, as of 2018, has ten schools competing in 15 different sports:

Athletics Badminton Basketball Beach volleyball Chess Dancesport Football Futsal Karatedo Lawn tennis Swimming Table tennis Taekwondo Volleyball Weightlifting

The league also plans to add golf, weightlifting and bowling in the far future. Unlike the University Athletic Association of the Philippines and the National Collegiate Athletic Association, CESAFI teams do not compete for an overall championship.

Academic and cultural events As of the 2018 season, CESAFI has twelve schools competing in 14 academic and cultural events. These events consist of the following: Bangga sa Balak Sangka sa Pakigpulung Current events & general information quiz Declamation Essay writing Hip-hop dancing Impromptu speaking Math quiz bee Oration Robotics Science quiz bee Sudoku Spelling bee Vocal duet Vocal solo

CESAFI Basketball Championship

CESAFI's basketball tournament is arguably its most popular event, and is considered one of the country's top collegiate basketball tournaments, along with the UAAP and NCAA's basketball tournaments. Below is the list of champions of the CESAFI Basketball Tournament.

List of CESAFI basketball champions