KANSAS — Briar Cliff University (Iowa) will be joining the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) as a per-sport member in Men's Bowling and Women's Bowling in the 2026-27 season, the conference office announced Friday. This year is the first year of competition in men's and women's bowling for the Chargers.
“The KCAC is home to outstanding bowling programs with a legacy of producing top competitors," Dylan Elsworth, head coach of the bowling programs at Briar Cliff, remarked. "The inaugural bowling team here at Briar Cliff is looking to cement ourselves among the top teams in the country. The KCAC will challenge this excellent group of incoming athletes to be their best. We look to charge forward into the upcoming season and show the KCAC what Briar Cliff Bowling is all about! Battle On!”
"We are so excited to begin competition for our new bowling programs, and are honored to accept membership into the KCAC," Daniel McDermott, Executive Director of Athletic Operations at Briar Cliff, said. "We are prepared to hit the ground running for the 2026-2027 and look forward to hosting competitions in our new home, Plaza Bowl of Sioux City."
Briar Cliff will be the eighth men's bowling program competing in the KCAC, alongside full-member institutions Avila University, Kansas Wesleyan University, Ottawa University, and the University of Saint Mary, and per-sport members Hastings College, Midland University, and Morningside University. The Chargers will be the eleventh bowling team in the conference on the women's side, joining full-member institutions Avila University, Kansas Wesleyan University, McPherson College, Ottawa University, and the University of Saint Mary, and per-sport members College of Saint Mary, Cottey College, Hastings College, Midland University, and Morningside University
"We at the KCAC are excited and fortunate to add a quality institution like Briar Cliff to KCAC Bowling," Brandon Buchanan, KCAC Commissioner, stated. "Our conference continues to grow, and we love the opportunity to provide quality student-athlete experiences to even more programs now. We thank Briar Cliff for their interest, and for buying into the right way forward with the KCAC."
ABOUT BRIAR CLIFF UNIVERSITY
Briar Cliff University Athletics supports 20 programs, with more than 500 student-athletes wearing the Charger Blue and Gold in competition. The Chargers are part of the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).
Since 1966, Briar Cliff University athletics have been represented in 12 national championships, 19 GPAC championships, and 61 NAIA tournament appearances. Further, the Chargers have claimed 243 All-Americans and 763 scholar athletes.
In 2021, the Chargers received a perfect Champions of Character score from the NAIA, one of only 16 schools nationwide to earn this honor.
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ABOUT THE KANSAS COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
The Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and sponsors 28 varsity sports. Founded in 1890, the KCAC is the second oldest intercollegiate athletic conference in the country. As the conference home to 14 member institutions, the KCAC emphasizes commitment, cooperation, high achievement, and working towards a common goal in the act of competition. To keep up with the latest conference news, follow the KCAC on Facebook, Twitter/X, and Instagram using the handle @kcacsports.
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