After a one-year hiatus, the Philippine Collegiate Championship League (PCCL) – National Collegiate Championship is back to pit the best college basketball teams in the country against each other to determine the 2017 national champion. The PCCL’s Elite 8, composed of Universities Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) champion Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU), National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) titlist San Beda College (SBC), Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) boss University of Vizayas (UV), NCAA runner-up Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU), UAAP bridesmaid De La Salle University (DLSU), National Capital Region (NCR) winner San Sebastian College (SSC), Mindanao qualifier Holy Trinity College (HTC) of General Santos City, and Luzon qualifier Naga College Foundation (NCF), start the single-round hostilities this Thursday in Ynares Pasig. Divided into two groups, the top two teams from each group collide in the crossover semis to decide the finalists.