The Southland Bowling League (SBL) was a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) bowling-only conference. The SBL was founded in 2015 for schools that sponsor women's bowling teams, but did not have bowling sponsored by their primary conferences. The SBL champion received an automatic bid to the NCAA Bowling Championship since the NCAA first awarded such bids in 2018. While the conference operated independently, administrative services were provided by the Southland Conference. The SBL merged into Conference USA (CUSA) after the 2022–23 season, with CUSA inheriting the SBL's automatic championship berth.

The SBL received at least three bids to the NCAA Championship in each season of its existence. Following the inaugural SBL Championship, four league teams (Arkansas State, Sam Houston State, Stephen F. Austin, and Vanderbilt) received at-large bids to the 2015 NCAA Championships, filling half of the eight available spots. The same four teams would receive at-large bids to the 2016 NCAA Bowling Championships and 2017 NCAA Bowling Championships. In 2018, the first year for automatic bids to the NCAA Championship and also the first year for a 10-team championship event, Vanderbilt earned the automatic bid and Arkansas State and Sam Houston received at-large bids. In 2019, Sam Houston State earned the automatic bid, while Arkansas State, Stephen F. Austin, and Vanderbilt received at-large bids. In 2021, Vanderbilt earned the automatic bid, while Arkansas State, Louisiana Tech, Sam Houston, and Youngstown State received at-large bids. In 2022, six of the eight members made the NCAA Bowling Championships field with Vanderbilt earning the automatic bid, while Arkansas State, Louisiana Tech, Sam Houston State, Stephen F. Austin, and Youngstown State all receiving at-large bids. In the league's final season in 2023, the same six members from 2022 made the NCAA Bowling Championships field, with Arkansas State earning the automatic bid.

In July 2021, it was announced that Sam Houston and Stephen F. Austin left the Southland for the Western Athletic Conference. After the two schools announced they would join the WAC in fall 2022, they were expelled by the Southland Conference and joined the WAC a year ahead of the originally planned schedule. Despite leaving the Southland Conference in all other sports, Sam Houston and Stephen F. Austin remained in the SBL and both participated in the 2022 and 2023 SBL Championships.

Final members All of the SBL's final members now compete in CUSA bowling except Stephen F. Austin, which dropped bowling after the 2024–25 season. School Location Founded Type ApproximateEnrollment Joined Nickname Primary conferenceduring SBL membership Current primaryconference Arkansas State University Jonesboro, AR 1909 Public 13,600 2015 Red Wolves Sun Belt Conference Louisiana Tech University Ruston, LA 1894 Public 11,300 2015 Lady Techsters Conference USA Sun Belt Conference Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX 1879 Public 19,600 2015 Bearkats Southland Conference Western Athletic Conference Conference USA Stephen F. Austin State University Nacogdoches, TX 1921 Public 13,000 2015 Ladyjacks Southland Conference Western Athletic Conference Southland Conference Tulane University New Orleans, LA 1834 Private 13,500 2015 Green Wave American Conference Valparaiso University Valparaiso, IN 1859 Private(Independent Lutheran) 4,500 2015 Beacons Missouri Valley Conference Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN 1873 Private 12,700 2015 Commodores Southeastern Conference Youngstown State University Youngstown, OH 1908 Public 11,400 2018 Penguins Horizon League

On August 7, 2018, the SBL and Youngstown State University announced that Youngstown State's bowling program was joining the league for competition beginning in the 2018–2019 season. Youngstown State replaced Monmouth, who accepted an invitation to join the MEAC.

Notes

Previous members School Location Founded Type ApproximateEnrollment Nickname Joined Left Primary conferenceduring SBL membership Current bowling conference Monmouth University West Long Branch, NJ 1933 Private 6,200 Hawks 2015 2018 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Northeast Conference

SBL Championship

Year VenueLocation Champion Runner-up Third Fourth Fifth Seventh 2015 Del-Mar LanesHouston, TX Vanderbilt Arkansas State Valparaiso Sam Houston State MonmouthStephen F. Austin Louisiana TechTulane 2016 AMF All Star LanesKenner, LA Arkansas State Sam Houston State Vanderbilt Stephen F. Austin MonmouthTulane Louisiana TechValparaiso 2017 Hijinx LanesJonesboro, AR Vanderbilt Arkansas State Stephen F. Austin Tulane MonmouthSam Houston State Louisiana TechValparaiso 2018 USA Bowl DallasDallas, TX Arkansas State Stephen F. Austin Vanderbilt Monmouth Louisiana TechSam Houston State TulaneValparaiso 2019 USA Bowl DallasDallas, TX Sam Houston State Vanderbilt Stephen F. Austin Arkansas State Louisiana TechTulane ValparaisoYoungstown State 2021 Colonial Bowling LanesHarahan, LA Vanderbilt Louisiana Tech Sam Houston State Arkansas State Stephen F. AustinYoungstown State TulaneValparaiso 2022 Colonial Bowling LanesHarahan, LA Vanderbilt Youngstown State Louisiana Tech Arkansas State Sam HoustonTulane Stephen F. AustinValparaiso 2023 Rowlett BowlaramaRowlett, TX Arkansas State Sam Houston Louisiana Tech Youngstown State VanderbiltStephen F. Austin TulaneValparaiso

All-Tournament Teams Year Most Valuable Bowler Team 2015 Nicole Mosesso(Vanderbilt) Sarah Lokker (Arkansas State) • Sadie Jasinski (Valparaiso) • Stephanie Schwartz (Stephen F. Austin) • Torrie Decker (Valparaiso) • Giselle Poss (Vanderbilt) 2016 Jordan Richard(Arkansas State) Stephanie Zavala (Sam Houston State) • Brooke Wood (Arkansas State) • Jadee Scott-Jones (Arkansas State) • Carrie Hopkinson (Sam Houston State) • Katelyn Reth (Monmouth) 2017 Katie Stark(Vanderbilt) Maria Bulanova (Vanderbilt) • Jordan Richard (Arkansas State) • Stephanie Schwartz (Stephen F. Austin) • Janine Kuwahara (Sam Houston State) • Tiera Gulum (Tulane) 2018 Jordan Richard(Arkansas State) Leah Glazer (Arkansas State) • Stephanie Schwartz (Stephen F. Austin) • Dakota Faichnie (Stephen F. Austin) • Kristin Quah (Vanderbilt) • Jackie Evans (Monmouth) 2019 Bea Hernandez(Sam Houston State) Madysen Keller (Sam Houston State) • Maria Bulanova (Vanderbilt) • Samantha Gainor (Vanderbilt) • Sarah Gill (Stephen F. Austin) • Denishya Waller (Arkansas State) 2021 Mabel Cummins(Vanderbilt) Angelica Anthony (Vanderbilt) • Allie Leiendecker (Louisiana Tech) • Danielle Jedlicki (Louisiana Tech) • Denise Blankenzee (Sam Houston State) • Carlene Beyer (Stephen F. Austin) 2022 Mabel Cummins(Vanderbilt) Amanda Naujakoas (Vanderbilt) • Emma Dockery (Youngstown State) • Emma Wrenn (Youngstown State) • Allie Leiendecker (Louisiana Tech) • Brooklyn Buchanan (Arkansas State) 2023 Maggie Thoma(Arkansas State) Faith Welch (Arkansas State) • Elise Chambers (Sam Houston) • Denise Blankenzee (Sam Houston) • Megan Grams (Youngstown State) • Lindsay Manning (Louisiana Tech)

NCAA Bowling Championship participation Source:

Teams Appearances Years Best Result Arkansas State 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 Runner-up 2008, 2021, 2023 Louisiana Tech 2021, 2022, 2023 Regional Finalist 2022 Sam Houston 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 Champion 2014 Stephen F. Austin 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023 Champion 2016, 2019 Valparaiso 2012 Tied 5th 2012 Vanderbilt 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 Champion 2007, 2018, 2023 Youngstown State 2021, 2022, 2023 4th 2021

Bold: Champion Italics: Runner-Up

See also NCAA bowling championship

References