MILLIGAN, Tenn. – Milligan University's 2025-26 women's and men's bowling schedules were announced by women's head coach Brian Rickert, and men's head man Michael Hall, on Thursday morning.

Click HERE to view the full women's schedule.

Click HERE to view the full men's schedule.

Rickert enters his fifth season leading the Buffaloes' programs, while Hall is entering season number two with the men's team. Their campaigns begin on Oct. 4-5, when the squads go up to the State of Michigan for the Midwest Collegiate Classic Tier 1 event. The men will bowl at Imperial Lanes in Clinton Township, while the women battle at 5-Star Lanes in Sterling Heights.

"I've always believed in scheduling tough competition," said Rickert, "and this season is no exception. We kick things off with a highly competitive Tier 1 tournament in Detroit, which should set the tone for the rest of the season."

The weekend of Oct. 25-26 will see the Milligan squads take part in the Greater Nashville Open at Smyrna Bowling Center in Smyrna, Tenn. on the 25^th, followed by the Brandon Burns Memorial on the 26^th at the same location.

Another Tier 1 event is next, as the Buffs head to the Bowlero Southern in Marietta, Ga. on Nov. 1-2. The men's tournament will be played at Bowlero Austell, while the women compete at Bowlero Marietta.

After nearly a two-month hiatus, Milligan continues their trek through the season with a trip to Las Vegas, Nev. On Dec. 18-19, the squads take part in the Glenn Carlson Las Vegas Invitational at South Point Bowling Arena. The following two days will be the Collegiate Shoot-Out, at the same locale. Both events will be Tier 1 level, and great for the teams competitively.

"In December, we'll be heading back out to Las Vegas," Rickert said, "which is always a great test for our team."

When the calendar flips to 2026, the Buffaloes start the year in the State of Kentucky on Jan. 24-25. Both squads will compete in the MSC Lynne Jordan Memorial and the MSC Thomas Burris Memorial, on those days respectively. The men will bowl at Kingpin Lanes in Jeffersontown, Ky., while the women head to Ken Bowl Lanes in Louisville.

Next up are the NAIA Southeast Open No. 1 and No. 2 events on Feb. 7-8 in Savannah, Ga. Both events will take place at Bowlero Savannah.

One of the marquee events of the season is the Hoosier Classic, which is another Tier 1 tourney. On Feb. 14-15, the Buffaloes head up to Indianapolis to Royal Pin Western for the two-day event.

The Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) Championships are held in Savannah, Ga., as the Feb. 27-28 tournament provides an opportunity for the Buffs to earn some conference hardware at Bowlero Savannah, where they bowl earlier in the season.

The Intercollegiate Singles Championship Sectionals get under way on Mar. 13. The one-day event will crown an individual champion. The next two days are the Intercollegiate Team Championships. Both events' locations are yet to be decided.

Milligan will hope that they either earn an automatic berth, or are chosen for the NAIA National Championships as an at-large contender on Mar. 19-21 in Lansing, Mich. Both teams would be in search of their first ever team national titles.

The month of April signals the appearance of the ISC/ITC National Championships in Green Bay, Wis. from Apr. 13-18. This event at Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley will conclude the 2025-26 season, and hopefully bring a team title home to East Tennessee.

"I expect this season could be our best year yet!" Rickert concluded.

Coach Hall agreed with that sentiment, saying, "with the leadership of our returners and the talent of our newcomers, I feel really good about where we're headed. We've shown we can compete with some of the best teams in the country, but what makes this group special is how much they play for each other. They've always got each other's backs, and I can't wait to get the season started."