On August 1, 2019, the United States Bowling Congress killed the only rule protecting bowling’s competitive integrity. Forty-two days later, Bowlero bought the Professional Bowlers Association.
The Professional Bowlers Association traces back to an 1841 Connecticut law that banned nine-pin bowling. The folk story about how bowlers beat it isn’t true.
In 1980, 9.8 million Americans belonged to a bowling league. More than 22 million watched the PBA Tour on a single Saturday afternoon. The sport’s collapse was already 18 years old.
In 1980, 9.8 million Americans bowled in a sanctioned league. Forty years later, that number had dropped by 89%. This is the full history of professional bowling in America.
