Conference Realignment Hits Nebraska Bowling

The 12-team bowling conference also includes Arkansas State, Jacksonville State, Louisiana Tech, Sam Houston, Tulane, Valparaiso, Vanderbilt, Wichita State, and Youngstown State.

“We are honored to be afforded the opportunity to join Conference USA as an affiliate member,” Bowling Head Coach Paul Klempa said. “This bowling conference is unequivocally the strongest group of teams in the country, and we are excited to be included in what will be fierce competition each season. CUSA includes a large portion of the top-10 teams in the country and is a natural fit for Nebraska to be among them in conference competition. The opportunity to join CUSA allows us to compete in late March, right before the NCAA postseason begins, and that will help our team be competitively sharp for the NCAA Championship.  I would like to thank Athletic Director Troy Dannen and our administration for their help in getting Nebraska Bowling included in the most prestigious bowling conference in the country.”

Nebraska had been an independent since the program was elevated to varsity status during the 1997-98 season. Now, the Big Red are in the nation's toughest conference for college bowling.

In the two seasons since it sponsored women’s bowling, Conference USA has had back-to-back NCAA champions (Youngstown State in 2025, Jacksonville State in 2024) and seven of the eight national semifinalists. The only team outside CUSA to reach the national semifinals was the Huskers in 2025. The schools now competing in CUSA have accounted for 12 of the 21 NCAA titles, including four of the last five since 2021.

Nebraska has had plenty of success as an independent. The Huskers have won eight national championships, including six NCAA titles since women’s bowling became an NCAA Championship sport in 2004. The Huskers have finished first or second 10 times in 21 all-time NCAA Championships and are the only program to compete in every NCAA Championship.

Individually, Nebraska has had nine bowlers combine for 12 National Bowler-of-the-Year honors since 2000, most recently Jillian Martin in 2025, while 34 bowlers have combined to earn 74 All-America awards since 1998.

Nebraska rose to prominence under former head coach Bill Straub. The three-time NCTA Coach of the Year led the Huskers to five IBC Women's National Championships and five NCAA Team Championships, adding in a pair of IBC Men's National Championships.

Paul Klempa took over in 2019, being named the 2021 Bill Straub NTCA Division I Coach of the Year. Under Klempa, Nebraska has a trio of top-three NCAA finishes over the past five seasons, including the program’s sixth NCAA title in 2021. Earlier this summer, Klempa signed a contract extension.

Nebraska now has varsity sports in three different conferences. You can see the distribution below.

Nebraska Sports by Conference Affiliation

Big Ten

• Baseball
• Men's Basketball
• Women's Basketball
• Men's Cross Country
• Women's Cross Country
• Football
• Men's Golf
• Women's Golf
• Men's Gymnastics
• Women's Gymnastics
• Women's Soccer
• Softball
• Women's Swimming & Diving
• Men's Tennis
• Women's Tennis
• Men's Track & Field
• Women's Track & Field
• Women's Volleyball
• Men's Wrestling

Patriot Rifle Conference

• Rifle

CUSA

• Women's Bowling