Automated system to simplify entry process for USBC tournaments

Beginning in February, the United States Bowling Congress will offer a brand-new, fully-automated way to enter the USBC Open Championships online.

The option will be available Feb. 1 for teams looking to enter the 2011 event, which will be held at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev. Team captains will be able to enter and pay online in six easy steps.

With the new system, returning team captains will be recognized by their entry numbers from 2010, and their personal information will appear automatically. They'll simply be asked to edit or add information, select or change their dates, choose the number of doubles and all-events entries and pay the deposit or entire balance by credit card. New captains still will have to enter their information manually the first time, but will not have to do so again in the future.

As the automated system continues to evolve, captains soon will be able to sign back into the system and add or change roster information, input participation information and pay remaining balances to lock in doubles and singles times.

Beginning March 1, the automated system will be available for USBC Women's Championships team captains looking to enter the 2011 event slated for Syracuse, N.Y.

Paper entries still will be accepted for both events.

"Since so much of what we already do revolves around the Internet, the automated online system is the natural next step in the evolution of our tournaments," said USBC Championships Director Brian Lewis. "We want to make things as convenient as possible for our bowlers, and the new system really streamlines the process."

Entry deadlines extended for 2010 Open and Women's Championships

Although the start of the 2010 USBC Open Championships is less than a month away, it's not too late to enter. The entry deadline has been extended until April 1.

So far, more than 14,000 teams are scheduled to make the trip to Reno's National Bowling Stadium during the tournament's 136-day run. It will be the event's record ninth visit to Reno and the sixth time the tournament will be held at the 78-lane NBS.

Teams looking to enter the 2010 USBC Women's Championships in El Paso, Texas, also still have time to get their entries in and join the more than 5,800 teams that are scheduled to usher in a new era on the tournament lanes. The deadline has been extended from Jan. 22 until Feb. 19.

For the first time, the Women's Championships will be held in a convention-center setting. USBC will install 48 lanes and the world's largest mobile scoreboard inside the El Paso Convention and Performing Arts Center, and the tournament will feature three divisions, instead of five, and an all-handicap format for the first time.