NCAA Bowling Championship

NCAA Bowling Championship
NCAA Bowling Championship Logo.jpg
SportCollege Bowling
Founded2004
No. of teams87 (regular season, 2019–20)
16 (championship, 2020)
Most recent
champion(s)
McKendree (2)
Most titlesNebraska (6)
TV partner(s)ESPNU
Official websiteNCAA.com

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

The most successful team is Nebraska with 6 titles. McKendree are the reigning champions, defeating Stephen F. Austin 4 games to 0 in the 2022 championship held at Wayne Webb's Columbus Bowl in Columbus, OH.

Nebraska is the only program to qualify for all 18 NCAA Bowling Championships since the NCAA started sponsoring bowling in the 2003-04 season.

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.

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.

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.

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. 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.

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. 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.

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

The 2021 tournament featured six automatic berths (CIAA had its championship cancelled due to COVID-19) and ten at-large selections. This was the first tournament to feature regional play. Both regional and championship rounds were all played at one site. The 2022 tournament saw the number of automatic bids increase by two, to eight, with the GLVC champion receiving an automatic bid for its champion and the CIAA champion returning after a one-year absence. There were eight at-large selections. For the first time, regional competition took place at four predetermined regional sites - Erie, PA, Rochester, NY, Lansing, MI, and Arlington, TX, with the regional winners advancing to the championship round.

Champions

NCAA National Collegiate Bowling Championship
Year Site Championship
Winner Score Runner-up Individual Games Most Outstanding Player Ref
2004
Details
Emerald Bowl
Houston, Texas
Nebraska 4–2 Central Missouri State 170–131, 160–208, 185–190, 239–150, 219–197, 215–173 Shannon Pluhowsky, Nebraska
2005
Details
Wekiva Lanes
Orlando, Florida
Nebraska 4–2 Central Missouri State 220–210, 247–266, 148–192, 205–190, 190–172, 235–184 Amanda Burgoyne, Nebraska
2006
Details
Emerald Bowl
Houston, Texas
Fairleigh Dickinson 4–1 Alabama A&M 209–165, 148–184, 172–165, 200–179, 196–165 Lisa Friscioni, Fairleigh Dickinson
2007
Details
Wekiva Lanes
Apopka, Florida
Vanderbilt 4–3 UMES 167–164, 242–166, 154–202, 148–170, 224–180, 178–235, 198–150 Josie Earnest, Vanderbilt
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
2017
Raising Cane's River Center
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
McKendree 4–0 Nebraska 182–169, 244–192, 224–212, 240–223 Breanna Clemmer, McKendree
2018
Details
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
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
2020
Thunderbowl Lanes
Allen Park, Michigan
Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2021
Details
AMF Pro Lanes
North Kansas City, Missouri
Nebraska 4–1 Arkansas State 217–224, 235–194, 201–190, 179–162, 198–170 Crystal Elliott, Nebraska
2022
Details
Wayne Webb's Columbus Bowl
Columbus, Ohio
McKendree 4–0 Stephen F. Austin 201–188, 200–188, 186–182, 215–189 Hope Gramly, McKendree
2023
South Point Hotel
Enterprise, Nevada
2024
Thunderbowl Lanes
Allen Park, Michigan
2025
National Bowling Stadium
Reno, Nevada
2026
RollHouse Wickliffe
Wickliffe, Ohio

Team titles

NCAA Bowling Championship is located in the United States
Nebraska
Nebraska
Maryland Eastern Shore
Maryland Eastern Shore
Fairleigh Dickinson
Fairleigh Dickinson
McKendree
McKendree
Sam Houston State
Sam Houston State
Stephen F. Austin
Stephen F. Austin
Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt
Schools that have won the NCAA Championship
ButtonRed.svg 6, ButtonGreen.svg 3, ButtonGray.svg 2, ButtonWhite.svg 1
Team # Years
Nebraska 6 2004, 2005, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2021
Maryland Eastern Shore 3 2008, 2011, 2012
Fairleigh Dickinson 2 2006, 2010
McKendree 2017, 2022
Stephen F. Austin 2016, 2019
Vanderbilt 2007, 2018
Sam Houston State 1 2014

Result by school and year

34 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.

Conference affiliations in the table reflect those in place for the 2021–22 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.) (Beginning in 2021, there are four regionals, with the four regional winners advancing to the championship bracket, which is double-elimination, so there are 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.) Beginning in 2021, played in regionals, but did not make it to final 4-team championship bracket (Twelve teams.)
Div Conf APP 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 21 22
School
Nebraska I Independent 18 CH CH 3 T3 T7 CH RU T3 T3 CH RU CH RU RU T3 T3 CH
Vanderbilt I Southland 16 T5 CH T3 T5 T5 RU T3 RU T5 T7 T7 T3 CH RU 3
Fairleigh Dickinson I NEC 14 4 3 CH T3 T3 CH T3 RU T5 T7 T5 T7 4
Arkansas State I Southland 14 RU T7 T3 T5 T5 T3 T5 T5 T5 T5 T5 T7 RU
Maryland Eastern Shore I MEAC 13 T7 T7 T7 RU CH T7 T5 CH CH T3 T3 T5 T3
Central Missouri II GLVC 13 RU RU T5 T5 T5 RU T7 T7 T7 T5 T7 T7 T7
Sam Houston I Southland 10 T7 T7 CH T3 T5 T3 T3 T7
Sacred Heart I NEC 8 T5 T5 T5 T7 T7 T5
New Jersey City III AMCC 7 3 T5 4 T7 T3 T5 T3
McKendree II GLVC 6 T3 CH RU T5 3 CH
Stephen F. Austin I Southland 5 RU CH T7 CH RU
North Carolina A&T I MEAC 4 T3 T5
Delaware State I MEAC 3 T3 T7
Wisconsin–Whitewater III Independent 3 T7 T3 T3
Bowie State II CIAA 3
Medaille III AMCC 3
Bethune–Cookman I SWAC 2 4 T7
Minnesota State II Independent 2 T7 T5
Prairie View A&M I SWAC 2
Youngstown State I Southland 2 4
Louisiana Tech I Southland 2
Mount St. Mary's I Independent 2
Southern I SWAC 1 T5
Winston-Salem State II CIAA 1 T7
Fayetteville State II CIAA 1 T7
Alabama A&M I SWAC 1 RU
Kutztown II ECC 1 T5
Valparaiso I Southland 1 T5
Lincoln Memorial II CC/GMAC 1 T7
Saint Francis (PA) I NEC 1 T7
Texas Southern I SWAC 1
Caldwell II ECC 1
Duquesne I NEC 1
Roberts Wesleyan II ECC 1
Alabama State I SWAC 1
Wilmington (DE) II ECC 1
  1. ^ a b c Was an independent before the formation of the Southland Bowling League in advance of the 2015 championship.
  2. ^ a b Was an independent before the NEC began sponsoring bowling in the 2008–09 season.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ a b Was an independent before the formation of the Southland Bowling League in advance of the 2015 championship. Announced departure from the Southland Conference to join the Western Athletic Conference in 2022; expelled from both the Southland Conference after the 2021 championship, joining the WAC at that time in all sports except women's bowling. Remain members of SBL.
  5. ^ Was an independent before becoming a member of the NEC in 2009-2010. Left NEC after 2012-2013. Became a single-sport member of the AMCC in 2015–16.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ Competed in the MEAC before joining the SWAC in July 2021.
  9. ^ Program discontinued in 2011.
  10. ^ Competed in the NEC before leaving that league in July 2022 for the non-bowling Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, with no bowling affiliation announced.
  11. ^ Program discontinued in 2014.
  12. ^ Previously a member of NEC when they qualified in 2011.
  13. ^ Previously a member of ECC when they qualified in 2018.

NCAA Programs

A total of 93 teams competed in the 2021–22 season:

  • 35 from Division I
  • 35 from Division II
  • 23 from Division III
  1. ^ From the linked website, select "Women's Bowling" from the "Sport" menu, and the desired division from the "Division" menu.

Conferences

See also


This page was last updated at 2022-09-05 22:43 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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