Nebraska Wesleyan University announced October 7 that women's bowling will be added as a sport beginning in the 2016-17 school year.
"Nebraska Wesleyan takes a lot of pride in sponsoring a broad based athletic program," NWU Director of Athletics Ira Zeff stated. "With the addition of bowling we will enhance the opportunities for female students to use athletics as part of their NWU educational experience."
A search for a head coach is currently underway with competition scheduled to begin with the 2016-17 winter sports season.
Collegiate bowling is held October through April. Teams from NCAA Division I, Division II and Division III compete together for the NCAA National Collegiate Bowling Championships. Approximately 65 schools sponsor the sport of women's bowling in the NCAA.
"For the past four decades our women's athletic teams have grown and celebrated many successes, and I'm delighted we're expanding those opportunities once again," said NWU President Fred Ohles.
The addition of women's bowling brings the total number of NWU varsity sports to 22 (11 men, 11 women), with approximately 30 percent of the student body participating in intercollegiate athletics.
NWU athletes have earned numerous academic and athletic honors including 153 Academic All-America Awards — ranking eighth among all schools at all levels — and 49 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships.
Beginning July 1, Nebraska Wesleyan moves to the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference as an exclusive NCAA Division III affiliate.