NCAA Bowling Championship

The NCAA Bowling Championship is a sanctioned women's championship in college athletics. Unlike many NCAA sports, only one championship is held each season with teams from Division I, Division II, and Division III competing together. Sixteen teams, seven of them automatic qualifiers and the other nine being at-large selections, are chosen by the NCAA Bowling Committee to compete in the championships. The championship was first held in April 2004.

NCAA Bowling Championship
SportCollege Bowling
Founded2004
No. of teams87 (regular season, 2019–20)
16 (championship, 2020)
Most recent
champion(s)		Stephen F. Austin (2)
Most titlesNebraska (5)
TV partner(s)ESPNU
Official websiteNCAA.com

The most successful team is Nebraska with 5 titles. The reigning champions are Stephen F. Austin (SFA), which won the 2019 title 4 games to 1 against the defending champions Vanderbilt. This is SFA's second NCAA Bowling Championship.

Nebraska is the only program to qualify for all 16 NCAA Bowling Championships.[1]

Format

The collegiate bowling season runs from late October through the end of March, and the National Collegiate Women's Bowling Championship is held in April.

Through 2017

The format for the championships from 2004-2017 began with qualifying rounds in which each team bowled one five-person regular team game against each of the other seven teams participating in the championship.

Teams would then be seeded for bracket play based on their qualifying rounds win-loss record and then competed in best-of-seven-games Baker matches in a double elimination tournament. In the Baker format, each of the five team members, in order, bowls one frame until a complete (10-frame) game is bowled. A Baker match tied 3½ games to 3½ games after seven games is decided by a tiebreaker, using the Modified Baker format, which takes the scoring from only frames 6 thru 10.[2]

2018 and 2019

In previous years, all eight participants received at-large bids. In 2018 the NCAA Women's Bowling Committee selected a field of ten participants. Six teams are automatic qualifiers from the conferences that have been granted an automatic bid, and the other four receive at-large bids. At that time, the six conferences that fulfilled the criteria to be granted an automatic qualifier were the Division I Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, Northeast Conference, Southland Bowling League, and Southwestern Athletic Conference, plus the Division II Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association and East Coast Conference. The ten participants were ranked and seeded based on the criteria used by the selection committee. The top six seeds automatically entered the championship bracket. The four lowest-seeded teams played in on-campus opening round matches to determine the two participants advancing to the eight-team championship bracket. To minimize travel costs, the matchups were determined by geographical proximity rather than seedings.[3]

In 2019, the championship field expanded from 10 to 12 teams, coinciding with two new conferences fulfilling the criteria for automatic qualification—the Division II Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) and the Division III Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference. Accordingly, eight conference champions received automatic bids, and the NCAA Women's Bowling Committee selected four at-large teams to fill out the 12-team field. The top four teams were seeded into the Championship bracket, while the eight remaining teams competed in four play-in matches. The winners of these matches were seeded into the eight-team championship bracket.[4]

Qualifying rounds were eliminated in favor of a seeded double-elimination bracket. Each match within the bracket consisted of best-of-three matches using specified formats (five-person regular team matches, Baker total pinfall, and Baker match play).

The championship finals were a best-of-seven match using Baker match play rules.[5] The tiebreaker rule used through 2017 will still apply to Baker match play in the new format.

From 2020

The championship was scheduled to expand to 16 teams in 2020. The number of automatic bids was reduced by one after the MIAA bowling league disbanded at the end of the 2018–19 season. Although five schools that had participated in the final season of MIAA bowling became part of the new bowling league of the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC), those schools were not in the same bowling league for a sufficient time to allow the GLVC to inherit the MIAA's automatic bid.[6]

The 2020 tournament was intended to be the first to feature regional play. The field was to be split into four regions, each with four teams competing at predetermined sites; each of the top four seeds as chosen by the NCAA selection committee would be placed in a separate regional. Each regional was to be played as a double-elimination tournament, with the format identical to that introduced for the championship event in 2019. All regional matches, except for what the NCAA calls "if necessary regional finals", are best-of-three matches bowled in the following order: five-person team, Baker total pinfall, Baker best-of-seven match play. Any "if necessary regional final" will be Baker best-of-seven.[6] Regional winners will advance to the championship event, which will also be double-elimination. All matches will be bowled under the standard format for regionals (best-of-three matches using specified formats in a specific order) except the championship final, which will be Baker best-of-seven.[6]

On March 12, 2020, the NCAA announced that the 2020 tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[7]

Champions
NCAA National Collegiate Bowling Championship
Year Site Championship
Winner Score Runner-up Individual Games Most Outstanding Player Ref
2004
Details		 Emerald Bowl
Houston		 Nebraska 4–2 Central Missouri State 170–131, 160–208, 185–190, 239–150, 219–197, 215–173[Note 1] Shannon Pluhowsky, Nebraska [8]
2005
Details		 Wekiva Lanes
Orlando, Florida		 Nebraska 4–2 Central Missouri State 220–210, 247–266, 148–192, 205–190, 190–172, 235–184[Note 2] Amanda Burgoyne, Nebraska [9][10]
2006
Details		 Emerald Bowl
Houston		 Fairleigh Dickinson 4–1 Alabama A&M 209–165, 148–184, 172–165, 200–179, 196–165[Note 3] Lisa Friscioni, Fairleigh Dickinson [11]
2007
Details		 Wekiva Lanes
Apopka, Florida		 Vanderbilt 4–3 UMES 167–164, 242–166, 154–202, 148–170, 224–180, 178–235, 198–150[Note 4] Josie Earnest, Vanderbilt [12][13]
2008
Details		 Thunder Alley
Omaha, Nebraska		 UMES 4–2 Arkansas State 179–223, 200–181, 180–182, 217–164, 175–152, 174–170 Jessica Worsley, UMES [14][15]
2009
Details		 Super Bowl Lanes
Canton, Michigan		 Nebraska 4–1 Central Missouri 200–185, 149–198, 201–168, 201–177, 190–135 Cassandra Leuthold, Nebraska [16]
2010
Details		 Brunswick Zone Carolier Lanes
North Brunswick, New Jersey		 Fairleigh Dickinson 4–3 Nebraska 209–167, 202–222, 203–213, 229–192, 201–222, 230–190, 208–174 Danielle McEwan, Fairleigh Dickinson [17]
2011
Details		 Skore Lanes
Taylor, Michigan		 UMES 4–2 Vanderbilt 215–197, 164–193, 201–248, 234–204, 235–166, 192–181 Kristina Frahm, UMES [18][19]
2012
Details		 Freeway Lanes
Wickliffe, Ohio		 UMES 4–2 Fairleigh Dickinson 222–204, 236–215, 167–249, 208–168, 170–223, 203–176 T'nia Falbo, UMES [20]
2013
Details		 Super Bowl Lanes
Canton, Michigan		 Nebraska 4½–2½ Vanderbilt 211–199, 186–197, 156–169, 190–190, 196–189, 202–182, 246–200 Liz Kuhlkin, Nebraska [21]
2014
Game of Wickliffe
Wickliffe, Ohio		 Sam Houston State 4–2 Nebraska 181-166, 182-187, 193-190, 189-197, 205-191, 195-165 Kimi Davidson,
Sam Houston State		 [22]
2015
Tropicana Lanes
Richmond Heights, Missouri		 Nebraska 4–2 Stephen F. Austin 237-232, 178-253, 201-171, 179-188, 205-201, 195-154 Julia Bond, Nebraska [23][24]
2016 Brunswick Zone Carolier Lanes
North Brunswick, New Jersey		 Stephen F. Austin 4–3 Nebraska 193-205, 238-198, 265-242, 164-227, 196-187, 160-237, 247-192 Kiara Grant, Stephen F. Austin [25]
2017
Raising Cane's River Center
Baton Rouge, Louisiana		 McKendree 4–0 Nebraska 182-169, 244-192, 224-212, 240-223 Breanna Clemmer, McKendree [26]
2018
Tropicana Lanes
Richmond Heights, Missouri		 Vanderbilt 4–3 McKendree 224-204, 174-233, 182-193, 233-204, 203-255, 208-205, 220-191 Emily Rigney & Katie Stark, Vanderbilt [27]
2019
Details		 RollHouse Wickliffe
Wickliffe, Ohio		 Stephen F. Austin 4–1 Vanderbilt 167–183, 222–166, 203–175, 224–190, 213–202 Paige Beeney, Stephen F. Austin [28]
2020
Thunderbowl Lanes
Allen Park, Michigan		 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic [7]
2021
AMF Pro Lanes
North Kansas City, Missouri[29]
2022
Wayne Webb's Columbus Bowl
Columbus, Ohio[30]
2023
South Point Hotel
Las Vegas, Nevada[31]
2024
Thunderbowl Lanes
Allen Park, Michigan[32]
2025
National Bowling Stadium
Reno, Nevada[33]
2026
RollHouse Wickliffe
Wickliffe, Ohio[34]

Team titles
Nebraska
UMES
Fairleigh Dickinson
McKendree
Sam Houston State
Stephen F. Austin
Vanderbilt
Schools with national championships
– 5 championships, – 3 championships
– 2 championships, – 1 championship
Team Titles Year Won
Nebraska 5 2004, 2005, 2009, 2013, 2015
Maryland Eastern Shore 3 2008, 2011, 2012
Fairleigh Dickinson 2 2006, 2010
Stephen F. Austin 2 2016, 2019
Vanderbilt 2 2007, 2018
McKendree 1 2017
Sam Houston State 1 2014

Result by school and year

28 teams have appeared in the NCAA Tournament in at least one year starting with 2004. The results for all years are shown in this table below.[35]

Conference affiliations in the table reflect those in place for the 2020–21 school year.

The code in each cell represents the furthest the team made it in the respective tournament:

  •  CH  National Champion
  •  RU  National Runner-up
  •  T3  Semifinalists
    •  3 ,  4  (In 2004-06, there was one 8-team bracket, rather than two 4-team brackets, so there were distinct 3rd and 4th place teams.)
  •  T5  Tied for 5th place
  •  T7  Tied for 7th place
  •  •  Played in opening round games but did not make it to final 8-team bracket. (Two teams in 2018, four in 2019.)
DivConfAPP04050607080910111213141516171819
School
NebraskaIIndependent16CHCH3T3T7CHRUT3T3CHRUCHRURUT3T3
VanderbiltISouthland[lower-alpha 1]14T5CHT3T5T5RUT3RUT5T7T7T3CHRU
Maryland Eastern ShoreIMEAC13T7T7T7RUCHT7T5CHCHT3T3T5T3
Central MissouriIIGLVC[lower-alpha 2]13RURUT5T5T5RUT7T7T7T5T7T7T7
Fairleigh DickinsonINEC[lower-alpha 3]1243CHT3T3CHT3RUT5T7T5T7
Arkansas StateISouthland[lower-alpha 1]12RUT7T3T5T5T3T5T5T5T5T5T7
Sam Houston StateISouthland[lower-alpha 1]8T7T7CHT3T5T3T3T7
New Jersey CityIIIAMCC[lower-alpha 4]73T54T7T3T5T3
Sacred HeartINEC[lower-alpha 3]6T5T5T5T7T7T5
Stephen F. AustinISouthland4RUCHT7CH
McKendreeIIGLVC[lower-alpha 5]4T3CHRUT5
Wisconsin–WhitewaterIIIIndependent[lower-alpha 6]3T7T3T3
Bethune–CookmanIMEAC[lower-alpha 7]24T7
Minnesota State[lower-alpha 8]IIIndependent2T7T5
Delaware StateIMEAC2T3T7
North Carolina A&TIMEAC2T3T5
Bowie StateIICIAA2••
SouthernISWAC1T5
Winston-Salem State[lower-alpha 9]IICIAA1T7
Fayetteville StateIICIAA1T7
Alabama A&MISWAC1RU
KutztownIIECC[lower-alpha 10]1T5
ValparaisoISouthland[lower-alpha 1]1T5
Lincoln MemorialIIECC1T7
Saint Francis (PA)INEC1T7
Texas SouthernISWAC1•
Prairie View A&MISWAC1•
CaldwellIIECC1•
MedailleIIIAMCC1•
  1. Was an independent before the formation of the Southland Bowling League in advance of the 2015 championship.
  2. Was an independent for all of its NCAA Tournament appearances. It competed in its all-sports home of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) for all three seasons in which the MIAA sponsored bowling (2017–2019), but did not make the NCAA Tournament in any of them.
  3. Was an independent before the NEC began sponsoring bowling in the 2008–09 season.
  4. Was an independent before becoming a single-sport member of the AMCC in 2015–16.
  5. Was an independent in its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2016, and a bowling member of the MIAA when it qualified in 2017, 2018, and 2019.
  6. Has been an independent throughout its bowling history except in the 2019–20 season, in which it was a member of the Central Intercollegiate Bowling Conference in that league's only season of existence.
  7. Bethune–Cookman will move to the SWAC in July 2021.
  8. Program discontinued in 2011.
  9. Program discontinued in 2014.
  10. Previously a member of NEC when they qualified in 2011.

NCAA Programs

A total of 87 teams competed in the abbreviated 2019–20 season, up from 80 teams in 2017–18 and 77 in 2016–17:

Conferences

Notes
  1. Nebraska had to win two best-of-seven matchups against Central Missouri State (who advanced to the finals after going undefeated in Friday's double elimination format) to win the first NCAA bowling title. Nebraska won the first match 4-2 (183-176, 168-200, 195-170, 212-212 (60-40), 168-203, 246-195) to force the winner-take-all match.
  2. Under the same double elimination format used in 2004, Nebraska went undefeated, winning three matches on Friday, meaning they only had to win once (out of a possible two best-of-seven matches) against Central Missouri State to win the NCAA Bowling Championship. Nebraska needed only one best-of-seven match-up to win their second straight NCAA Bowling title.
  3. Fairleigh Dickinson (only team undefeated, 3-0 after Friday's double elimination matches) needed only one best-of-seven match (out of a possible two matches) to defeat Alabama A&M.
  4. The double elimination format was tweaked in 2007 and subsequently every NCAA Bowling Championships have used this format since. Under the previous double elimination format used from 2004–2006, the finalist with one loss had to defeat the undefeated finalist twice in best-of-seven matches to win the bowling championship. Beginning in 2007, two teams that win two best-of-seven matches advance to the semifinals. In the semifinals, the two undefeated teams would only need to win once out a possible two matches to advance to the final. In the 2007 championships, Vanderbilt and Maryland Eastern Shore won two matches to advance to the semifinals. Both teams only needed one match to advance to the best-of-seven finals match.
  5. The GLVC added women's bowling for 2019–20, effectively absorbing the former bowling league of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. Of the six schools that competed in MIAA bowling in 2018–19, five joined GLVC bowling. Lincoln (MO) dropped bowling after the 2019–20 season, but was immediately replaced by the new bowling team of full GLVC member Quincy. The GLVC is scheduled to receive an automatic bid to the Championship in 2021–22.

References
  1. "Huskers Qualify for NCAA National Championship". Huskers.com. Retrieved 2019-03-28.
  2. NCAA Bowling Championship Format
  3. "2018 NCAA Women's Bowling Championship Opening Round Match Information and Bid Checklist" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  4. "2019 NCAA Women's Bowling Championship Opening Round Match Information and Bid Checklist" (PDF). Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  5. "2018 NCAA women's bowling championship field announced". NCAA. March 28, 2018. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  6. "Memorandum: NCAA Bowling Season and Championship Information" (PDF). NCAA Women's Bowling Committee. September 9, 2019. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  7. "NCAA cancels remaining winter and spring championships due to coronavirus concerns". NCAA.com. March 12, 2020. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  8. "Huskers Win NCAA Bowling Title" (Press release). University of Nebraska Athletics. April 10, 2004.
  9. "Huskers Repeat as National Champions" (Press release). April 16, 2005.
  10. [http://www.netitor.com/photos/schoolslt/mdes/sports/w-bowl/auto_pdf/2005finalchampionshipbracket.pdf 2005 NCAA Bowling Bracket
  11. http://www.bowlingdigital.com/bowl/node/896 Fairleigh Dickinson Win 2006 NCAA Women’s Bowling Championship]
  12. "Vanderbilt Bowlers Make History! Commodores Crowned as NCAA Champs" (Press release). Vanderbilt University Athletics. April 14, 2007.
  13. 2007 NCAA Women's Bowling Bracket
  14. "National Champions!!!!!" (Press release). University of Maryland Eastern Shore Athletics. April 12, 2008.
  15. 2008 NCAA Women's Bowling Bracket
  16. "Huskers Capture NCAA Bowling Title" (Press release). University of Nebraska Athletics. April 12, 2009.
  17. "Fairleigh Dickinson Women's Bowling Wins National Championship" (Press release). Fairleigh Dickinson University Athletics. April 10, 2010.
  18. "National Champions!" (Press release). University of Maryland Eastern Shore Athletics. April 16, 2011.
  19. 2011 NCAA Women's Bowling Championship
  20. "Hawks Soar Higher; Win Back to Back NCAA Championships" (Press release). University of Maryland Eastern Shore Athletics. April 15, 2012.
  21. "Huskers Capture Fourth National Title" (Press release). University of Nebraska Athletics. April 13, 2013.
  22. Spoor, Mark (April 13, 2014). "Bearkat beginnings" (Press release). NCAA.
  23. "Huskers Capture Fifth NCAA Title" (Press release). University of Nebraska Athletics. April 11, 2015.
  24. "SFA Finishes as NCAA National Runner-Up" (Press release). Stephen F. Austin University Athletics. April 11, 2015.
  25. "NATIONAL CHAMPIONS! Ladyjacks Down Nebraska For Program's First NCAA Title" (Press release). Stephen F. Austin University Athletics. April 16, 2016.
  26. "NATIONAL CHAMPIONS! McKendree wins 2017 NCAA Women's Bowling Crown" (Press release). McKendree University Athletics. April 15, 2017.
  27. "Vanderbilt Bowling Upends McKendree for 2018 NCAA Championship". Southland Conference. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  28. "Ladyjacks Claim School's Second Division I Team National Championship". Stephen F. Austin State University Athletics. Retrieved 2019-04-14.
  29. "Jennies Bowling and Kansas City Sports Commission Selected as hosts for 2021 NCAA Bowling Championships". University of Central Missouri Athletics. Apr 18, 2017.
  30. "Thomas More Chosen to Host 2022 NCAA Women's Bowling Championship". Thomas More College Athletics. Apr 19, 2017.
  31. "Las Vegas And UNLV Awarded Eight NCAA Championships". Oct 14, 2020.
  32. "Detroit Awarded 2024 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Regionals, Women's Bowling Championship". Oct 14, 2020.
  33. "Nevada selected to host two future NCAA championships". Oct 14, 2020.
  34. "Cleveland selected to host 2025 men's basketball, 2026 NCAA D1 wrestling & six other NCAA champs". Oct 14, 2020.
  35. "National Collegiate Women's Bowling Championships Record Book" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
  36. "CCIW Announces the Addition of Women's Bowling as Its 25th Sport; Three Programs Added as Associate Members" (Press release). College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. July 23, 2020. Retrieved September 7, 2020.
  37. "Marian women's bowling set to join Central Intercollegiate Bowling Conference" (Press release). Marian University Athletics. 2019-04-12. Retrieved 2019-04-14.
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