Women’s International Bowling Congress Acquires Rights and Assets of the Professional Women’s Bowling Association
June 30, 2004
The Women’s International Bowling Congress announced that it has acquired the rights and assets of the Professional Women’s Bowling Association from former PWBA owner John Sommer. The announcement was made Wednesday at the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America’s trade show, International Bowl Expo, at the Las Vegas Hilton.

This agreement highlights WIBC’s continuing effort to protect the history and heritage of women’s bowling, while creating opportunities to strengthen the future of the sport for women.

“WIBC is very pleased with this agreement,” said WIBC Executive Director Roseann Kuhn. “In addition to acquiring the historical records of the PWBA, it gives WIBC the ability to investigate the development of a tour; pursuing sponsorships; and most importantly seeking television coverage of the tour stops.”

She further stated, “WIBC is firmly committed to finding a solution to reinstating a women’s professional tour and the acquisition of the PWBA assets will give us the leverage to begin our investigation.”

“I’ve invested a lot of my life and significant dollars in the PWBA,” said Sommer, “and I’m excited over the fact that the PWBA is now in the hands of the Women’s International Bowling Congress where I have long felt it should be.” He further said, “Strong highly visible pro tours are critical to the growth of our industry. With WIBC’s support and the new USBC and Strike Ten, I’m confident that the PWBA will reach these goals.”

In the fall of 2003, the PWBA tour ceased operations before the completion of its 2003 season, although WIBC had sponsored the tour for the 2003-04 season. The transfer of the assets, which includes but is not limited to the right to the PWBA name, trademark, logo and website domain – pwba.com, satisfied that sponsorship arrangement. Additional details of the agreement were not disclosed.

In addition to the positive impact on professional women’s bowling, this agreement also is positive for the United States Bowling Congress, which will acquire the PWBA when WIBC merges with the American Bowling Congress, Young American Bowling Alliance and USA Bowling on Jan. 1, 2005.

Women’s International Bowling Congress
The WIBC is the world’s oldest and largest women’s sports membership organization with more than 1.2 million members. WIBC’s mission is to identify and fulfill the needs of women bowlers.
 

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Edited on 6/30/2004 10:30 PM

Thanks for posting this Nick, I love to watch the women bowl, then again I love to watch bowling period, but it makes me stir crazy, as I can't wait to hit the lanes again.  I hope the PWBA becomes successfull again, I think the women deserve a chance to bowl on TV.
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MMMMMMMM,  Spoiled Eggs.........AaaaarghAaaaargh.......(drooling)

While this is good news, does this mean that after the United States Bowling Congress becomes official as of January 1, will they be the ones holding the rights?
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THE CHINA MAN!

I guess I don’t see who has much to celebrate other than John Sommer who go at least some of his money back.

The PWBA essentially went bankrupt and ceased operations.

A private individual bought the rights to the PWBA name and tried to figure out a way to keep the organization alive and promote it and was unable to.

Now an organization that is hemorrhaging money, losing members at alarming rates, and is about to merge with other organizations that have the same problems has bought those naming rights.

I hope they don’t simply throw money from the new USBC at the PWBA name as a solution.

I hope they succeed in getting the PWBA started again with some new ideas for promotion. The ladies need their own organization. Only a select few have any chance in the PBA regional/national tour process and I hope the PBA leaves this avenue open. These few got the needed experience to survive in the PBA on the PWBA tour.

But I’m not holding my breath on them getting it started again, particularly a full schedule tour and regional program. I can see the WIBC/USBC holding a few events (maybe 4) and calling them PWBA titles ( like the Queens tournament).