COLUMBUS, Ohio – President Dave Kaufman and Director of Athletics and Recreation Dr. Darrell Bailey Sr. have announced that Capital University will be adding a men's and women's bowling program to begin competition in the fall semester of 2024. The addition of men's and women's bowling will bring Capital University's varsity sport offering up to 22 sports – 11 men and 11 women. 

"With a long and distinguished history of athletic excellence, and with the growth of high school and collegiate bowling across the country, Capital University is excited to offer this sport," said President Kaufman. "We are committed to the holistic development of every student. Being a member of any athletics team helps develop transferable skills for life, including leadership, teamwork, time management, communication, and goal setting."

"It has been 10 years since we have added a new varsity sport here at Capital University," said Dr. Bailey. "I am very excited to be a part of adding the sport of Men's and Women's Bowling at a time that seems perfect for our athletics department. Bowling appears to be a sport that will allow us to recruit students in a sport that is popular at the high school level within our area, and I look forward to seeing a new group of interested students."

Capital University's bowling programs will compete in the Ohio Bowling Conference alongside 22 existing member institutions, including schools such as Baldwin Wallace University, Ohio Northern University, Muskingum University, Ohio State University, Kent State University and Wittenberg University among others. Capital will be the fourth Ohio Athletic Conference school to house a bowling program within the Ohio Bowling Conference. 

The Ohio Bowling Conference hosts a series of five conference bowling events throughout the season with all five events during the 2023-24 season taking place at Columbus Square Bowling Palace – approximately 25 minutes from Capital University.  

A national search for the first head coach of Capital University bowling will take place in the coming weeks. 

"One of the first steps we will need to take is to find the right head coach," said Dr. Bailey. "We need someone who can build a program, which is not an easy task because starting from scratch can present some unique challenges."

Any prospective student-athletes interested in joining the inaugural Capital men's or women's bowling programs can complete the recruiting questionnaire by clicking here.