Rumors and criticism surrounding the future of the PBA Regional Tour had been circulating long before the PBA officially announced the new ELITE Regional Tour.
And even after the announcement, unanswered questions kept the discussion alive and continued to fuel debate across the bowling community.
PBA Tour champion AJ Chapman, however, believes many people are judging the changes before the PBA has released the full details.
“It’s been pretty frustrating reading all the negative comments about the PBA’s announcement today,” Chapman wrote yesterday on social media. “It’s so easy for people to get on here and complain instead of actually digesting material, especially when it’s not all even announced yet.”
The PBA announced earlier this week that its Regional Tour will be restructured into the PBA ELITE Regional Tour beginning in September 2026.
The first PBA ELITE schedule will include 21 invitational events across seven regions, with three tournaments held in each. PBA CEO Peter Murray says the events will feature larger prize funds, stronger media coverage and a more direct route toward the National Tour.
Chapman believes the new structure could bring the Regional Tour closer to its main purpose - identifying players capable of competing at the highest professional level.
“With these changes, it seems like they’re building an actual pathway to the PBA Tour. Which is how it’s supposed to be,” Chapman wrote.
“It’s not the responsibility of the PBA to give a platform for everyone to compete. It’s their responsibility to give the Elite the chance to compete at the highest level.”
Chapman also argued that bowlers outside the ELITE structure will still have other places to compete, including state tours, local tournament series, sweepers and handicap events.
The 32-year-old knows what the path from regional bowling to the National Tour can look like. Chapman owns four PBA Regional Tour titles and finally earned his first PBA Tour title this season alongside Zach Wilkins at the PBA Roth/Holman Doubles Championship.
“Bowling is not dying, it’s evolving,” Chapman wrote. “This is about the integrity of the sport at every level. The picture gets much clearer when you look at it as a whole.”
