ALLEN PARK, Mich. – The Jacksonville State Gamecocks won the 2024 NCAA Bowling Championship in the program’s inaugural season. The Arkansas State Red Wolves were runners-up in the winner-take-all, Baker best-of-seven championship match.
 
In its first year with the addition of women’s bowling, Conference USA had all nine teams nationally ranked in the top-20 and held each spot in the NCAA Final Four as a conference. This marks the second ever CUSA national championship win in history.
 
A-State first needed to bag its spot in the title match as the Red Wolves met Youngstown State in the morning. The Wolves knew they had to give it their all and defeated the Penguins, 2-0. A-State was headed to the Championship Final for the third time in the last four years.

YSU’s championship run came to an end as they finished third overall, the best finish in program history. The Penguins registered a season record of 80-36, had 10 top-four tournament finishes and saw Head Coach Doug Kuberski earn National Coach of the Year.
 
It all came down to the final Baker best-of-seven match between No. 1 Jax State and No. 2 A-State. The Gamecocks claimed the first game, winning 239-194. The Red Wolves were quick to answer as they held the edge in game two, 211-201. Jax State won another game before A-State evened the match, 2-2.
 
The Red Wolves gained crucial momentum in game five, winning by 50 pins and taking the 3-2 lead. Jax State showed no signs of giving up with a 237-190 victory to force the match to game seven.
 
In year one, Jax State pulled through and were crowned the National Champions. Jax State Head Coach Shannon O’Keefe garnered her third NCAA Championship Title as a head coach. The Gamecocks have had a historical season as they earned conference and national titles while also having multiple student-athletes receive postseason awards.
 
A-State finished as the national runner-up for the second consecutive year, the third time in the last four years. Last season, the Red Wolves were on the brink of making it all the way before a big comeback from Vanderbilt in the title match. The Red Wolves come off an impressive season that consisted of four All-America honorees for the third time in program history. Arkansas State still awaits its first national championship title.