First-time national finalist Milligan among eight undefeated teams remaining at 2025 ITC
April 18, 2025
Milligan University's David Gilliam delivers a shot during Thursday's opening day of competition at the 2025 Intercollegiate Team Championships, which is being contested at the South Point Bowling Plaza inside the South Point Hotel Casino & Spa in Las Vegas.
QUALIFYING
MEN'S BRACKET
WOMEN'S BRACKET
LAS VEGAS - The 2025 Intercollegiate Team Championships got underway Thursday morning at South Point Bowling Plaza inside the South Point Hotel Casino & Spa in Las Vegas, and eight teams, including first-time men’s national finalist Milligan University, went undefeated to put themselves in ideal position to make a run at this year’s titles.
The ITC is the culminating event of the 2025 United States Bowling Congress Collegiate season and features the top 16 men’s and top 16 women’s bowling programs from across the country.
All teams bowled 24 Baker games Thursday morning to determine seeding for the double-elimination bracket, which features best-of-seven Baker matches leading into the finals.
The finals, which will be taped Saturday, will air on CBS Sports Network on Tuesdays in May. The women’s ITC show is scheduled to air on May 6 at 7 p.m. Eastern with the men’s ITC final slated to follow on May 13 at 7 p.m. Eastern.
Leading the men’s division in qualifying was Savannah College of Art and Design – Savannah, which shot 300 during Game 24 to finish with a 5,268 total (a 219.5 average), the third-highest 24-game qualifying score in men’s ITC history.
The Bees were joined in the top five by Mount Mercy (5,247), Pikeville (5,152), defending champion Webber International (5,121) and Milligan (5,004).
Nevertheless, of those five, only Milligan was able to go 2-0 and end Day 1 among the ranks of the undefeated.
The Buffaloes earned that mark by defeating No. 12 Trine by a score of 4-2 in Round 1 and then surviving a six-game thriller to beat No. 4 Webber International, 4-2, during Round 2, sending the defending men’s national champions into the Elimination Bracket.
Milligan Head Coach Michael Hall was certainly excited after his team’s thrilling victory, but he wasn’t exactly surprised.
“We just did what we were doing all year,” Hall said. “We started the season strong and said we’re going to do what the 10 of us do. We don’t hold it against anyone when they miss; we just say ‘we’re a family, we’re a team, we’ve got it.’ We took that mentality into today, and here we are.”
Where the Buffaloes are is in the Winners Bracket and just two wins away from punching their ticket to Saturday’s ITC men’s TV finals.
Even though Hall and his troops are excited about the position they’re in, they aren’t looking that far ahead just yet.
“We know what we can do, and we know that we can compete with some of the best in the country. I think we proved that today,” Hall said. “We’re riding high now, but we’re going to enjoy tonight, get some rest and take it one game at a time every match again tomorrow.”
Milligan’s first match will be at 4 p.m. Eastern against No. 8 seed Wisconsin-Whitewater.
The Warhawks went 2-0 on Thursday and earned their place in the Round 3 Winners Bracket battle by making it through two seven-game affairs as they beat No. 9 seed St. Ambrose, 4-3, during Round 1 and then held off a furious rally by top-seeded Savannah College of Art and Design – Savannah to win by a 4-3 margin again during Round 2.
On the other side of the men’s bracket, No. 6 seed Wichita State, the winningest program in ITC history with 13 national titles, ended Thursday’s first two rounds of match play unbeaten.
The Shockers started their run with a 4-2 win over 11th seed McKendree before closing out the night with a hard-fought 4-3 victory against No. 3 Pikeville.
Wichita State’s next match will be at 4 p.m. Eastern on Friday against No. 7 seed Marian-Indiana, which went 2-0 on Thursday thanks to 4-2 wins over 10th seed Calumet and No. 2 Mount Mercy.
In women’s action on Thursday, the qualifying field was paced by 2024 ITC runner-up Jacksonville State, which posted the third-highest 24-game qualifying mark in women’s ITC history at 5,178 (a 215.75 average).
The remaining positions in the women’s qualifying top five were secured by North Carolina A&T (5,144), Pikeville (5,024), Sacred Heart (4,987) and Stephen F. Austin (4,951).
Just as they did on the men’s side, the seeds pretty much went out the window once bracket play began as Jacksonville State was the only team in the women’s qualifying top five to get through match play 2-0 on Thursday.
The Gamecocks met very little resistance while establishing that mark as they went 8-1 over the course of their first two rounds of matches, shutting out No. 16 Lindenwood, 4-0, during Round 1 and then breezing past No. 8 seed Savannah College of Art and Design – Savannah, 4-1, in Round 2.
Jacksonville State’s Round 3 opponent will be No. 12 Saint Xavier, which posted a 8-1 mark of its own during victories over No. 5 Stephen F. Austin, 4-1, and No. 13 Mount St. Mary’s, 4-0.
The two undefeated teams on the other side of the women’s bracket are No. 6 Maryville and seventh-seeded Mount Mercy.
Maryville ended Thursday’s action at 2-0 thanks to a 4-1 opening-round victory over No. 11 Judson and a 4-0 shutout of third-seeded Pikeville.
Mount Mercy, which ended the regular season No. 1 in the USBC Collegiate rankings, punched its ticket to Round 3 by besting No. 10 Wisconsin-Whitewater, 4-2, in Round 1 and then breezing past No. 15 Newman by a final score of 4-1 during Round 2.
Both women’s Winners Bracket matches are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. Eastern on Friday afternoon.
That’s because Elimination Bracket matches will kick off competition at South Point on Friday. The opening round is scheduled to begin at 10:45 a.m. Eastern with a second round of win-or-go-home bouts following at 12:45 p.m. Eastern.
Match play will continue Friday until the teams for Saturday’s title matches are determined.
Teams earned their way into the ITC field in March by finishing in the top four at one of four sectional events held throughout the country.
BowlTV.com has live coverage of all qualifying and match-play rounds of the Intercollegiate Team Championships leading up to the televised finals.
CLICK HERE for more information on the Intercollegiate Team Championships.
QUALIFYING
MEN'S BRACKET
WOMEN'S BRACKET
LAS VEGAS - The 2025 Intercollegiate Team Championships got underway Thursday morning at South Point Bowling Plaza inside the South Point Hotel Casino & Spa in Las Vegas, and eight teams, including first-time men’s national finalist Milligan University, went undefeated to put themselves in ideal position to make a run at this year’s titles.
The ITC is the culminating event of the 2025 United States Bowling Congress Collegiate season and features the top 16 men’s and top 16 women’s bowling programs from across the country.
All teams bowled 24 Baker games Thursday morning to determine seeding for the double-elimination bracket, which features best-of-seven Baker matches leading into the finals.
The finals, which will be taped Saturday, will air on CBS Sports Network on Tuesdays in May. The women’s ITC show is scheduled to air on May 6 at 7 p.m. Eastern with the men’s ITC final slated to follow on May 13 at 7 p.m. Eastern.
Leading the men’s division in qualifying was Savannah College of Art and Design – Savannah, which shot 300 during Game 24 to finish with a 5,268 total (a 219.5 average), the third-highest 24-game qualifying score in men’s ITC history.
The Bees were joined in the top five by Mount Mercy (5,247), Pikeville (5,152), defending champion Webber International (5,121) and Milligan (5,004).
Nevertheless, of those five, only Milligan was able to go 2-0 and end Day 1 among the ranks of the undefeated.
The Buffaloes earned that mark by defeating No. 12 Trine by a score of 4-2 in Round 1 and then surviving a six-game thriller to beat No. 4 Webber International, 4-2, during Round 2, sending the defending men’s national champions into the Elimination Bracket.
Milligan Head Coach Michael Hall was certainly excited after his team’s thrilling victory, but he wasn’t exactly surprised.
“We just did what we were doing all year,” Hall said. “We started the season strong and said we’re going to do what the 10 of us do. We don’t hold it against anyone when they miss; we just say ‘we’re a family, we’re a team, we’ve got it.’ We took that mentality into today, and here we are.”
Where the Buffaloes are is in the Winners Bracket and just two wins away from punching their ticket to Saturday’s ITC men’s TV finals.
Even though Hall and his troops are excited about the position they’re in, they aren’t looking that far ahead just yet.
“We know what we can do, and we know that we can compete with some of the best in the country. I think we proved that today,” Hall said. “We’re riding high now, but we’re going to enjoy tonight, get some rest and take it one game at a time every match again tomorrow.”
Milligan’s first match will be at 4 p.m. Eastern against No. 8 seed Wisconsin-Whitewater.
The Warhawks went 2-0 on Thursday and earned their place in the Round 3 Winners Bracket battle by making it through two seven-game affairs as they beat No. 9 seed St. Ambrose, 4-3, during Round 1 and then held off a furious rally by top-seeded Savannah College of Art and Design – Savannah to win by a 4-3 margin again during Round 2.
On the other side of the men’s bracket, No. 6 seed Wichita State, the winningest program in ITC history with 13 national titles, ended Thursday’s first two rounds of match play unbeaten.
The Shockers started their run with a 4-2 win over 11th seed McKendree before closing out the night with a hard-fought 4-3 victory against No. 3 Pikeville.
Wichita State’s next match will be at 4 p.m. Eastern on Friday against No. 7 seed Marian-Indiana, which went 2-0 on Thursday thanks to 4-2 wins over 10th seed Calumet and No. 2 Mount Mercy.
In women’s action on Thursday, the qualifying field was paced by 2024 ITC runner-up Jacksonville State, which posted the third-highest 24-game qualifying mark in women’s ITC history at 5,178 (a 215.75 average).
The remaining positions in the women’s qualifying top five were secured by North Carolina A&T (5,144), Pikeville (5,024), Sacred Heart (4,987) and Stephen F. Austin (4,951).
Just as they did on the men’s side, the seeds pretty much went out the window once bracket play began as Jacksonville State was the only team in the women’s qualifying top five to get through match play 2-0 on Thursday.
The Gamecocks met very little resistance while establishing that mark as they went 8-1 over the course of their first two rounds of matches, shutting out No. 16 Lindenwood, 4-0, during Round 1 and then breezing past No. 8 seed Savannah College of Art and Design – Savannah, 4-1, in Round 2.
Jacksonville State’s Round 3 opponent will be No. 12 Saint Xavier, which posted a 8-1 mark of its own during victories over No. 5 Stephen F. Austin, 4-1, and No. 13 Mount St. Mary’s, 4-0.
The two undefeated teams on the other side of the women’s bracket are No. 6 Maryville and seventh-seeded Mount Mercy.
Maryville ended Thursday’s action at 2-0 thanks to a 4-1 opening-round victory over No. 11 Judson and a 4-0 shutout of third-seeded Pikeville.
Mount Mercy, which ended the regular season No. 1 in the USBC Collegiate rankings, punched its ticket to Round 3 by besting No. 10 Wisconsin-Whitewater, 4-2, in Round 1 and then breezing past No. 15 Newman by a final score of 4-1 during Round 2.
Both women’s Winners Bracket matches are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. Eastern on Friday afternoon.
That’s because Elimination Bracket matches will kick off competition at South Point on Friday. The opening round is scheduled to begin at 10:45 a.m. Eastern with a second round of win-or-go-home bouts following at 12:45 p.m. Eastern.
Match play will continue Friday until the teams for Saturday’s title matches are determined.
Teams earned their way into the ITC field in March by finishing in the top four at one of four sectional events held throughout the country.
BowlTV.com has live coverage of all qualifying and match-play rounds of the Intercollegiate Team Championships leading up to the televised finals.
CLICK HERE for more information on the Intercollegiate Team Championships.