November 8, 2024 Nolan Hughes

A deeper analysis of the full 2025 PBA Tour schedule

The countdown to the 2025 PBA Tour is on.

Historic venues, from Indianapolis’ Royal Pin Woodland to Fairlawn’s AMF Riviera Lanes, provide the idyllic setting for major championships.

The World Series of Bowling (WSOB) XVI seeks to break records as the world’s premier international bowling event returns to the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev.

A revamped PBA Elite League invigorates the regular season by shining a spotlight on the rivalries between ball manufacturers, while the return of All-Star Weekend showcases the game’s top talents and provides a glimpse at the future of the sport.

Finally, the season’s top performers collide in the PBA Playoffs, the 15th title to be awarded on FOX Sports networks this year.

In total, the 2025 season ventures across 10 states, includes 18 title events and provides more than 60 hours on FOX Sports and nine hours on CBS Sports Network.

Additional coverage, including livestreams of all qualifying rounds, will be provided by BowlTV.

Entries for all 2025 PBA Tour events will open Nov. 20, 2024.

CLASSIC SERIES RETURNS

This year’s PBA Classic Series spans nearly coast to coast, beginning with the PBA Delaware Classic. After a pit stop in Indianapolis for the U.S. Open presented by Go Bowling, the tour heads to Vernon Hills, Ill., Springfield, Mo. and Reno, Nev. 

The Delaware, Illinois and Missouri Classics will utilize bracket match play to determine the stepladder finalists, while the Nevada Classic will feature elimination qualifying rounds.

The PBA Roth/Holman Doubles Championship will also take place in Vernon Hills. Illinois Classic qualifying will count towards both events.

BIGGEST WSOB EVER

This year’s WSOB, the fourth held at Reno’s National Bowling Stadium, features four animal pattern championships in addition to the major championship.

Each of the four animal pattern championships will include 12 games of qualifying and a 24-player elimination match play bracket. The four players who emerge from the bracket and the highest-seeded player who loses in the Round of 8 will advance to the stepladder finals.

For the PBA World Championship, the top quarter of the field will advance following all 48 games of qualifying each animal pattern. Two eight-game advancer rounds will then set the 16-player field for round robin match play, where the five finalists for the season’s second major championship will be determined.

The PBA Nevada Classic finals and PBA Jr. National Championships will be held during this time as well.

MASTERS

The Masters returns to Thunderbowl Lanes near Detroit next year — the same site where Anthony Simonsen demolished the USBC Masters match play scoring record two years ago en route to a second consecutive victory.

The Masters fosters dichotomic champions like no other major. On the one hand, seven of the past dozen Masters champions are Simonsen and Jason Belmonte; on the other, virtual unknowns like last year’s champion DeeRonn Booker have transformed themselves into a household name.

TWO MAJORS CLOSE REGULAR SEASON

The tour heads to Big 10 country for the regular season finales, both major championships.

If the 2023 PBA Jackson Classic — where EJ Tackett defeated Simonsen in the title match — is any indication of what might transpire at David Small’s JAX 60, the PBA Players Championship could be one for the ages.

If there is a more apropos setting to finish the regular season than historic AMF Riviera Lanes, the tour hasn’t discovered it. After inducting the next class of PBA Hall of Famers, the season’s fifth major champion will be crowned.

PLAYOFFS

By closing with back-to-back, triple-point major championships, the race to make the PBA Playoffs could be flipped on its head.

The season’s top dozen players in competition points after the TOC will reconvene at Thunderbowl Lanes for the season’s premier standard title event.

All matches of the elimination bracket, featuring Race-to-Two matches, will air on FS1. May Madness concludes with the Race-to-Three championship match May 24 on FOX.

SUMMER SWING

Three title events remain following the PBA Playoffs.

The PBA Tour Finals, featuring the top eight players in points over the 2024 and 2025 seasons, returns to Bethlehem, Pa.

Then the PBA links up with the PWBA Tour for the Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles in Houston. The charitable doubles event brings out the best of tour players, both on and off the lanes.

Finally, the tour heads across the Atlantic for the Storm Lucky Larsen Masters in Sweden. Jesper Svensson will look to go back to back in his homeland.

SPECIAL EVENTS

The second annual PBA All-Star Weekend heads to the greater Milwaukee area April 4-6. The star-studded exhibition will celebrate the game’s top talents and serve as a midseason checkpoint.

The new-look PBA Elite League: Battle of the Brands will factor in the entire PBA Tour regular season, akin to Formula 1’s Constructor Standings. The stepladder finals in late April add a team dynamic to a jam-packed season slate at Thunderbowl.

More information on these special events will be available at a later date.

More information on 2025 PBA Tour events are available here.

More information on the PBA on FOX schedule is available here.

2025 PBA TOUR SCHEDULE

Majors are bolded; non-title events are italicized

PBA Delaware Classic
Jan. 20-25, 2025
Middletown, DE
Mid County Lanes & Entertainment

U.S. Open presented by Go Bowling
Jan. 25 - Feb. 2
Indianapolis, IN
Royal Pin Woodland

PBA Illinois Classic
Feb. 3-8
Vernon Hills, IL
Bowlero Vernon Hills

PBA Roth/Holman Doubles Championship
Feb. 3-8
Vernon Hills, IL
Bowlero Vernon Hills

PBA Pete Weber Missouri Classic
Feb. 11-16
Springfield, MO
Enterprise Park Lanes

PBA Nevada Classic
Feb. 25-28; March 15
Reno, NV
Coconut Bowl at Wild Island

PBA World Series of Bowling XVI
March 3-22
Reno, NV
National Bowling Stadium

PBA WSOB XVI Animal Pattern 1 Championship
March 3-16

PBA WSOB XVI Animal Pattern 2 Championship
March 6-17

PBA WSOB XVI Animal Pattern 3 Championship
March 8-18

PBA WSOB XVI Animal Pattern 4 Championship
March 10-19

PBA WSOB XVI World Championship
March 3-22

USBC Masters
March 23-30
Allen Park, MI
Thunderbowl Lanes

PBA All-Star Weekend
April 4-5
Waukesha, WI
Foxx View Lanes

PBA Players Championship
April 7-13
Jackson, MI
David Small’s JAX 60

PBA Tournament of Champions
April 14-20, 2025
Fairlawn, OH
AMF Riviera Lanes

PBA Elite League: Battle of the Brands
April 25-27
Allen Park, MI
Thunderbowl Lanes

PBA Playoffs
April 27-29
Allen Park, MI
Thunderbowl Lanes

PBA Playoffs Championship
May 23-24
Allen Park, MI
Thunderbowl Lanes

PBA Tour Finals
June 2025
Bethlehem, PA
Steel City Bowl & Brews

PBA/PWBA Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles
July 24-27
Houston, TX
Copperfield Bowl

Storm Lucky Larsen Masters
August 22-31
Helsingborg, Sweden
Olympia Bowling