Jax State has claimed the 2026 NC bowling championship after defeating Wichita State in the final.
The top-seeded team secured the title with a 4-1 victory in a best-of-seven Baker format match. With the win, Jax State captures its second national championship in just three years as a program.
The match started with Jax State taking control early. They opened with a 216–208 win in Game 1 to take the lead. Wichita State responded in Game 2, winning 246–213 to even the match.
From that point on, Jax State regained momentum and did not look back. They won Game 3 with a score of 240–196, followed by a 185–169 victory in Game 4. In Game 5, Jax State closed out the match with a 191–184 win to secure the championship.
The result also marks a turnaround from last season, when Jax State reached the title match but finished as runner-up.
The 2026 NC bowling championship featured a 19-team field. Eleven teams qualified automatically through conference titles, while the remaining spots were filled with at-large selections.
| Year | Champion | Host/Site |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Jacksonville State | Parma Heights, OH |
| 2025 | Youngstown State | Las Vegas, NV |
| 2024 | Jacksonville State | Allen Park, MI |
| 2023 | Vanderbilt | Las Vegas, NV |
| 2022 | McKendree | Columbus, OH |
| 2021 | Nebraska | Kansas City, Mo. |
| 2019 | Stephen F. Austin | Wickliffe, Ohio |
| 2018 | Vanderbilt | St. Louis, Mo. |
| 2017 | McKendree | Baton Rogue, La. |
| 2016 | Stephen F. Austin | North Brunswick, N.J. |
| 2015 | Nebraska | St. Louis |
| 2014 | Sam Houston State | Wickliffe, Ohio |
| 2013 | Nebraska | Canton, Mich. |
| 2012 | Maryland-Eastern Shore | Cleveland, Ohio |
| 2011 | Maryland-Eastern Shore | Taylor, Mich. |
| 2010 | Fairleigh Dickinson | New Jersey City |
| 2009 | Nebraska | Detroit, Mich. |
| 2008 | Maryland-Eastern Shore | Omaha, Neb. |
| 2007 | Vanderbilt | Apopka, Fla. |
| 2006 | Fairleigh Dickinson | Houston, Texas |
| 2005 | Nebraska | Orlando, Fla. |
| 2004 | Nebraska | Houston, Texas |
