The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has elevated the sport of bowling to emerging sport status. The move by one of the nation's governing bodies for collegiate sports and leader in small college athletics puts bowling on the path to becoming a championship sport for dozens of colleges and universities.

Bowling reached emerging sport status when 25 or more NAIA member institutions declared to particpate for the 2010-2011 academic year. The sport will now serve a one year provisional peroid and must certify eligibility for particpating student-athletes. Following the provisional period the coaches association may organize an NAIA invitational event, a defined requirement in order for the sport to gain championship sport status.

   

In addition to a successful invitational event, 50 or more intitutions would need to declare participation in order to complete the final requirement for bowling to reach championship sport status. Currently 27 men's and 29 women's bowling programs compete at NAIA member institutions. Those numbers to continue to increase at a rapid pace.

The sport at Bethel University continues to grow with Coach Clay Boyd recruiting student-athletes for both the men's and women's programs.