BATON ROUGE -  Okay the Professional Bowlers Association put out its schedule for 2027 for the PBA Tour. There are some good things we’ll talk about. But one major question:

How -- or better Who -- thought it was the right thing to say about the schedule that it would include the introduction of the first ever PBA Playoffs?

This is a year when the headline on PBA.com talks about “reimagined tournament formats.” A hype video for the schedule mentioned a first PBA playoff and the PBA CEO Peter Murray in a quote says the first playoffs will give bowling a “true postseason.”

Okay, did everyone associated with the Tour in the last say dozen years suddenly resign and take all the PBA history with them?

I know it has been a long time, but the last PBA Playoffs were in, let’s see, 2025 at Thunder Bowl in Allen Park, Michigan to conclude the FOX Sports series of broadcasts. Just a quick look back at recent years show there were playoffs in 2024, 2022 and 2021 as well.

Then there was the Dick Weber PBA Playoffs in the 2011 season. By the way, that was believed to be the first “Race to 2” game format was used to decide the winner.

So I’m just not sure what was happening when somebody said in the PBA Office, “Let’s have some PBA Playoffs.”

To be totally transparent, it appears these PBA Playoffs that are being talked about will be the way 33 bowlers will work their way toward the PBA World Championship.

Okay that would be different, but please don’t make it sound like you are inventing the freaking PBA Playoffs. Come on. Most of your fans are smarter than you must think.

Now to the good parts. The CW telecasts will be available this year on ESPN+ which will allow those fans who want to watch the shows but don’t have access to The CW over-the-air broadcasts the opportunity to see the shows live. That’s a great addition.

The CW will have two more shows this year starting with an opening weekend event in Los Angeles and a PBA All-Star broadcast from New York City.

Again, all the CW shows will be on what is now billed as “Championship Sunday” from 3-5 p.m. CT with the exception of one telecast. The first telecast will be Feb. 21 and if there isn’t a big tribute on that show to the late longtime announcer Randy Pedersen, I will be very disappointed.

After the Tournament of Champions, assumingly from Fairlawn, Ohio, on May 9, the tour will resume in early June with the World Series of Bowling as broadcasts move to CBS Sports Network. The so-called PBA Playoffs will be on six dates, including four in prime time before the World Championship is decided on June 19 on CBS and Paramount+.

There are four signature series events on the CW that haven’t been explained yet and it will be interesting to see if those are connected or who will be eligible for those events. 

It seems the PBA is happy with The CW and CBS and CBS SN and it is great ot see the CW want to expand their coverage. They will have four of the five majors and there will be a lot of important bowling during those 12 weeks.

There is nothing that says the PBA50 will be featured on the WSOB like a year ago when the Tour appeared on TV for four nights for the first time in years. That would be a shame if that was a one-year thing.

The main thing is it is good to see a schedule but should you schedule have so many questions that could use some answers. Hopefully that comes in a few weeks.

Back with you next Monday.

           Until then, good luck and good bowling,

                                                               Kent Lowe