Jacksonville State has won the 2026 NC bowling championship.
The top-seeded Gamecocks defeated Wichita State, 4-1, to win the program’s second title in its three years in existence. The win avenges last year’s loss in the title match, in which Jax State fell to Youngstown State.
Head coach Shannon O’Keefe has now won four national titles, with two others coming during her previous stint at McKendree (2017, 2022).
The double-elimination tournament had a 19-team championship field. The championship bracket was revealed during a selection show on Wednesday, March 25, on NCAA.com. Eleven conferences earned automatic qualification, with the remaining eight teams selected at-large by the women’s bowling committee.
🎞️ RELIVE: Youngstown State clinches 2025 championship, first national title in program history
2026 NC bowling championship bracket
👉 Click or tap here to see the regional brackets
2026 NC bowling championship schedule
🎙️Watch: Post-game press conferences
- Selection show: 4 p.m. ET Wednesday, March 25 on NCAA.com
- Opening Round — Thursday, April 2
- Dominican (NY) 2, Alabama A&M 0
- Belmont Abbey 2, Saint Vincent 1
- Carroll (WI) 2, Fayetteville St. 1
- Lansing Regional
- Friday, April 3
- Jacksonville State 2, Carroll (WI) 0
- North Carolina A&T 2, Youngstown State 0
- Jacksonville State 2, North Carolina A&T 0
- Youngstown State 2, Carroll (WI) 1
- Saturday, April 4
- North Carolina A&T 2, Youngstown State 0
- Jacksonville State 2, North Carolina A&T 0
- Friday, April 3
- Rochester Regional
- Friday, April 3
- Vanderbilt 2, Dominican (NY) 0
- Sam Houston 2, Maryville (MO) 1
- Vanderbilt 2, Sam Houston 1
- Maryville (MO) 2, Dominican (NY) 0
- Saturday, April 4
- Maryville (MO) 2, Sam Houston 1
- Maryville (MO) 2, Vanderbilt 1
- Vanderbilt 4, Maryville (MO) 0
- Friday, April 3
- Pittsburgh Regional
- Friday, April 3
- Arkansas State 2, Belmont Abbey 0
- Nebraska 2, Duquesne 0
- Arkansas State 2, Nebraska 0
- Duquesne 2, Belmont Abbey 0
- Saturday, April 4
- Nebraska 2, Duquesne 0
- Arkansas State 2, Nebraska 1
- Friday, April 3
- Arlington Regional
- Friday, April 3
- Louisiana Tech 2, Bryant 1
- Newman 2, Wichita State 1
- Louisiana Tech 2, Newman 0
- Wichita State 2, Bryant 0
- Saturday, April 4
- Wichita State 2, Newman 1
- Wichita State 2, Louisiana Tech 1
- Wichita State 4, Louisiana Tech 0
- Friday, April 3
- Semifinals:
- Friday, April 10
- Match 1: No. 1 Jacksonville State 2, No. 4 Wichita State 0
- Match 2: No. 2 Vanderbilt 2, No. 3 Arkansas State 0
- Match 3: No. 1 Jacksonville State 2, No. 2 Vanderbilt 0
- Match 4: No. 4 Wichita State 2, No. 3 Arkansas State
- Saturday, April 11
- Match 5: No. 4 Wichita State 4, No. 2 Vanderbilt
- Friday, April 10
- Final:
- Saturday, April 11
- Final: No. 1 Jacksonville State 4, No. 4 Wichita State 1
- Saturday, April 11
NC bowling championship history
The Nebraska Cornhuskers hold the most all-time national titles (6) while the defending national champion, Youngstown State, earned its first last year. Here is every champion and runner-up in NC bowling championship history.
| Year | Champion | Coach | Games | Runner-Up | Games | Host/Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Jacksonville State | Shannon O’Keefe | 4 | Wichita State | 1 | Parma Heights, OH |
| 2025 | Youngstown State | Doug Kuberski | 4 | Jacksonville State | 3 | Las Vegas, NV |
| 2024 | Jacksonville State | Shannon O’Keefe | 4 | Arkansas State | 3 | Allen Park, MI |
| 2023 | Vanderbilt | John Williamson | 4 | Arkansas State | 3 | Las Vegas, NV |
| 2022 | McKendree | Shannon O’Keefe | 4 | Stephen F. Austin | 0 | Columbus, OH |
| 2021 | Nebraska | Paul Klempa | 4 | Arkansas State | 1 | Kansas City, Mo. |
| 2020 | Canceled due to Covid-19 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2019 | Stephen F. Austin | Amber Lemke | 4 | Vanderbilt | 1 | Wickliffe, Ohio |
| 2018 | Vanderbilt | John Williamson | 4 | McKendree | 3 | St. Louis, Mo. |
| 2017 | McKendree | Shannon O’Keefe | 4 | Nebraska | 0 | Baton Rogue, La. |
| 2016 | Stephen F. Austin | Amber Lemke | 4 | Nebraska | 3 | North Brunswick, N.J. |
| 2015 | Nebraska | Bill Straub | 4 | Stephen F. Austin | 2 | St. Louis |
| 2014 | Sam Houston State | Brad Hagen | 4 | Nebraska | 2 | Wickliffe, Ohio |
| 2013 | Nebraska | Bill Straub | 4.5 | Vanderbilt | 2.5 | Canton, Mich. |
| 2012 | Maryland-Eastern Shore | Kristina Frahm | 4 | Fairleigh Dickinson | 2 | Cleveland, Ohio |
| 2011 | Maryland-Eastern Shore | Sharon Brummell | 4 | Vanderbilt | 2 | Taylor, Mich. |
| 2010 | Fairleigh Dickinson | Mike LoPresti | 4 | Nebraska | 3 | New Jersey City |
| 2009 | Nebraska | Bill Straub | 4 | Central Missouri | 1 | Detroit, Mich. |
| 2008 | Maryland-Eastern Shore | Sharon Brummell | 4 | Arkansas State | 2 | Omaha, Neb. |
| 2007 | Vanderbilt | John Williamson | 4 | Maryland-Eastern Shore | 3 | Apopka, Fla. |
| 2006 | Fairleigh Dickinson | Mike LoPresti | 4 | Alabama A&M | 1 | Houston, Texas |
| 2005 | Nebraska | Bill Straub | 4 | Central Missouri | 2 | Orlando, Fla. |
| 2004 | Nebraska | Bill Straub | 4 | Central Missouri | 2 | Houston, Texas |
