NCAA Bowling Championship

NCAA Bowling Championship
Sport College Bowling
Founded 2004
No. of teams 8
Most recent champion(s) Nebraska (5)
TV partner(s) ESPNU
Official website NCAA.com

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

The most successful team is Nebraska, with 5 titles. The Cornhuskers are also the reigning champions, having defeated Stephen F. Austin (who were making its first ever championship finals appearance) in the finals of the 2015 tournament held at Tropicana Lanes in Richmond Heights, MO.

Nebraska and Central Missouri have qualified for all 12 NCAA Bowling Championships.

Format

The collegiate bowling season runs during the winter (beginning in October), and the championship is typically held in April. The current format for the championships begins with qualifying rounds in which each team bowls one five-person regular team game against each of the other seven teams participating in the championship for a total of seven games. Teams will be seeded for bracket play based on their win-loss record after seven games. Teams will then compete 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 a complete frame until a complete (10-frame) game is bowled. A Baker match tied 3½ games to 3½ games after seven games will be decided by a tiebreaker using the Modified Baker format, which is the last five frames (frames 6 to 10).[1]

Champions

NCAA National Collegiate Bowling Championship
Year Site Championship
Winner Score Runner-up Individual Games
2004
Details		 Emerald Bowl
Houston, TX		 Nebraska 4–2 Central Missouri State 170–131, 160–208, 185–190, 239–150, 219–197, 215–173[2][Note 1]
2005
Details		 Wekiva Lanes
Orlando, FL 		Nebraska 4–2 Central Missouri State 220–210, 247–266, 148–192, 205–190, 190–172, 235–184[3][Note 2]
2006
Details		 Emerald Bowl
Houston, TX		 Fairleigh Dickinson 4–1 Alabama A&M 209–165, 148–184, 172–165, 200–179, 196–165[5][Note 3]
2007
Apopka, FL Vanderbilt 4–3 UMES 167–164, 242–166, 154–202, 148–170, 224–180, 178–235, 198–150[6][Note 4]
2008
Omaha, NE UMES 4–2 Arkansas State 179–223, 200–181, 180–182, 217–164, 175–152, 174–170[8][9]
2009
Canton, MI Nebraska 4–1 Central Missouri 200–185, 149–198, 201–168, 201–177, 190–135[10]
2010
New Brunswick, NJ Fairleigh Dickinson 4–3 Nebraska 209–167, 202–222, 203–213, 229–192, 201–222, 230–190, 208–174[11]
2011
Taylor, MI UMES 4–2 Vanderbilt 215–197, 164–193, 201–248, 234–204, 235–166, 192–181[12][13]
2012
Wickliffe, OH UMES 4–2 Fairleigh Dickinson 222–204, 236–215, 167–249, 208–168, 170–223, 203–176[14]
2013
Canton, MI Nebraska 4½–2½ Vanderbilt 211–199, 186–197, 156–169, 190–190, 196–189, 202–182, 246–200[15]
2014
Wickliffe, OH Sam Houston State 4–2 Nebraska 181-166, 182-187, 193-190, 189-197, 205-191, 195-165[16]
2015
Richmond Heights, MO Nebraska 4–2 Stephen F. Austin 237-232, 178-253, 201-171, 179-188, 205-201, 195-154[17][18]
2016
New Brunswick, NJ[19]
2017
Baton Rouge, LA[20]
2018
Richmond Heights, MO[21]

Championship participants

Source:[22]

School Appearances Years (Champion in BF)
Alabama A&M 1 2006
Arkansas State 8 2008, '09, '10, '11, '12, '13, '14, '15
Bethune-Cookman 2 2005, '06
Central Missouri 12 2004, '05, '06, '07, '08, '09, '10, '11, '12, '13, '14, '15
Delaware State 2 2009, '10
Fairleigh Dickinson 11 2004, '05, '06, '07, '09, '10, '11, '12, '13, '14, '15
Fayetteville State 1 2005
Kutztown 1 2011
Maryland Eastern Shore 11 2004, '05, '06, '07, '08, '09, '10, '11, '12, '13, '14
Minnesota State, Mankato 2 2007, '08
Nebraska 12 2004, '05, '06, '07, '08, '09, '10, '11, '12, '13, '14, '15
New Jersey City 7 2004, '05, '06, '07, '08, '09, '10
Sacred Heart 5 2004, '05, '07, '08, '12
Sam Houston State 4 2011, '13, '14, '15
Southern 1 2004
Stephen F. Austin 1 2015
Valparaiso 1 2012
Vanderbilt 10 2006, '07, '08, '09, '10, '11, '12, '13, '14, '15
Winston-Salem State 1 2004
Wisconsin–Whitewater 3 2013, '14, '15

NCAA Programs

A total of sixty-four teams competed in 2014-15:

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.[4]
  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.[7]

References

  1. ↑ NCAA Bowling Championship Format
  2. ↑ "Huskers Win NCAA Bowling Title" (Press release). University of Nebraska Athletics. April 10, 2004.
  3. ↑ "Huskers Repeat as National Champions" (Press release). April 16, 2005.
  4. ↑ 2005 NCAA Bowling Bracket
  5. ↑ Fairleigh Dickinson Win 2006 NCAA Women’s Bowling Championship
  6. ↑ "Vanderbilt Bowlers Make History! Commodores Crowned as NCAA Champs" (Press release). Vanderbilt University Athletics. April 14, 2007.
  7. ↑ 2007 NCAA Women's Bowling Bracket
  8. ↑ "National Champions!!!!!" (Press release). University of Maryland Eastern Shore Athletics. April 12, 2008.
  9. ↑ 2008 NCAA Women's Bowling Bracket
  10. ↑ "Huskers Capture NCAA Bowling Title" (Press release). University of Nebraska Athletics. April 12, 2009.
  11. ↑ "Fairleigh Dickinson Women's Bowling Wins National Championship" (Press release). Fairleigh Dickinson University Athletics. April 10, 2010.
  12. ↑ "National Champions!" (Press release). University of Maryland Eastern Shore Athletics. April 16, 2011.
  13. ↑ 2011 NCAA Women's Bowling Championship
  14. ↑ "Hawks Soar Higher; Win Back to Back NCAA Championships" (Press release). University of Maryland Eastern Shore Athletics. April 15, 2012.
  15. ↑ "Huskers Capture Fourth National Title" (Press release). University of Nebraska Athletics. April 13, 2013.
  16. ↑ Spoor, Mark (April 13, 2014). "Bearkat beginnings" (Press release). NCAA.
  17. ↑ "Huskers Capture Fifth NCAA Title" (Press release). University of Nebraska Athletics. April 11, 2015.
  18. ↑ "SFA Finishes as NCAA National Runner-Up" (Press release). Stephen F. Austin University Athletics. April 11, 2015.
  19. ↑ NCAA Awards 2016 Bowling Championship to Northeast Conference
  20. ↑ Tulane, Baton Rouge to serve as hosts for 2017 bowling tourney
  21. ↑ "Central Missouri and St. Louis Sports Commission will host 2018 Bowling Championships". University of Central Missouri Athletics. Dec 13, 2013.
  22. ↑ "National Collegiate Bowling". NCAA. Retrieved April 8, 2015.

External links