| MPBL Preseason Invitational | |
| Founded: | 2021 |
| Current: | 2024 MPBL Preseason Invitational |
| Champions: | Pampanga Giant Lanterns |
| Season: | 2024 |
| Most Champs: | Three teams (1 title each) |
| Teams: | 8 (since 2023) 22 (in 2021) |
| Tv: | MPTV |
The MPBL Preseason Invitational is the preseason pocket tournament of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL). The tournament was established in 2021, ahead of the 2022 MPBL season. The first edition of the tournament was simply called the MPBL Invitational.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced the league to temporarily suspend league play on March 12, 2020, in the midst of its 2020 playoffs. The league also cancelled its plans to start its fourth season in June of that year and instead aimed for a return in June 2021, which also didn't push through.[1] [2]
As the league began its transition to professional status, it also looked to start an invitational tournament in December.[3] On November 16, 2021, during the online Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum, league commissioner Kenneth Duremdes formally announced the Invitational as the league settled on starting its fourth season in 2022. The tournament would also be supervised by the Games and Amusements Board (GAB) and monitored by FIBA.[4]
The 2021 MPBL Invitational went underway on December 11, 2021. It was the first event of the MPBL under professional status.[5] The entire tournament was held at SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay and fans were allowed in the arena at 50-percent capacity, though tickets were only provided to the participating teams to give to fans.[6] The inaugural tournament featured 22 teams and was won by Basilan Jumbo Plastic.[7]
The Invitational has since become the league's preseason tournament in the seasons that followed. The next two editions of the Invitational (2023 and 2024) took place at Lagao Gymnasium in General Santos. The tournament is now held every February to align with the city's Kalilangan Festival. This is also the only event in the league's calendar to feature guest teams. Since 2023, the GenSan Bulalakaw, a General Santos-based club, have become a regular competitors at the tournament. Now renamed as the MPBL Preseason Invitational, the Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines won the 2023 edition while the Pampanga Giant Lanterns won the 2024 edition.[8] [9]
The format of the Preseason Invitational follows that of traditional FIBA tournaments. Since 2023, each tournament consists of eight teams that are divided into two groups of four teams. Each team plays one game against each team from within the same group. The top two teams advance to the single-elimination playoffs, where the top four positions are settled.[10]
The Preseason Invitational also features a prize pot, which is included in every tournament to date. In 2021, only the top three teams were given prize money.[11] This was changed in 2023 so that every team is given prize money.[12]
| Rank | 2021 | 2023 | 2024[13] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | ₱2,000,000 | ₱3,000,000 | ₱1,500,000 | |
| 2nd | ₱500,000 | |||
| 3rd | ₱250,000 | ₱300,000 | ||
| 4th | ₱200,000 | |||
| 5th–8th | ₱100,000 | ₱125,000 | ||
A total of 28 teams have made an appearance in a Preseason Invitational tournament. Teams are listed under their current name.
| Guest team | ||
| † | Team has since departed the league |
| Year | City | Finalists | Semifinalists | Ref. | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champion | Score | Runner-up | Third place | Score | Fourth place | ||||||||
| align=left | Pasay | align=left | 83–80 (OT) | align=left | Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards | align=left | 100–80 | align=left | Imus Buracai de Laiya | ||||
| align=left rowspan=2 | General Santos | align=left | 88–80 | align=left | Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards | align=left | 93–76 | align=left | Sarangani Marlins | ||||
| 2024 | align=left | 93–75 | align=left | South Cotabato Warriors | align=left | 68–60 | align=left | Quezon City Toda Aksyon | |||||