The North Central College athletic department has just recently announced that it will be adding its 26th varsity sport into the school for the 2017-2018 season: women’s bowling.
NCC athletic director, Jim Miller, spent a lot of time contemplating what sport would be best to add to the school’s lengthy list. According to Title IX rules for athletic programs at colleges, North Central needed to add another women’s sport to maintain an equal number.
“When breaking down what is available and what makes sense for women here in Naperville there are very few,” Miller said. “Sports like field hockey, water polo, or women’s rugby — we would not have very many opportunities to support those teams at this school.”
With what sports remain popular in the area, bowling would be the most logical choice. “In our local area there is a ton of good high school bowling teams,” said Miller. “Waubonsie [Valley High School] has even won bowling state championships.”
With so many successful local high school bowlers, North Central has a chance to draw those athletes in with the new program.
“Adding this team is going to attract new students to come here that wouldn’t normally choose North Central,” said Miller. “It gives those athletes another option to continue playing.”
College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) schools Elmhurst College and Augustana College are going to be competing in this sport as well, providing the team with plenty of local competition.
Besides hiring the team’s head coach, the athletic department has already planned how they will support the team’s practices.
“We have it figured out. It will be very similar to our golf team,” said Miller. “The team will use our campus vans to shuttle to and from practice where we have about four lanes reserved every day at a local bowling alley.”
The Cardinals are ready to start a new bowling legacy, all they need are the athletes.
