The University of Tennessee Bowling League will be resetting the pins for another season in the Down Under Recreation Center, while in the other lane the UT Bowling Club will get set to take on competitors from around the nation.
Located in the basement of the University Center, the Down Under contains 12 bowling lanes along with an arcade room, games, television lounges and refreshments.
“We’ve got a great facility down here that a lot of people don’t know about,” said Amy Anderson, recreation coordinator for the Down Under.
An interest meeting for the inner campus bowling league will be held 6 p.m., Sept. 6 in the Down Under. The league will be open to anyone wishing to join, including students and faculty. The league will be handicapped for beginning and advanced bowlers and will consist of four-person teams.
Competitors will contribute $5 a week to pay for bowling and prizes. One team will bowl another, points will be tallied and at the end of the semester cash prizes will be awarded. The league starts over every year with more than 100 people competing, Anderson said.
“It’s fun and competitive,” she said. “I’ve had a lot of people last year that have never bowled in their life, and they had a great time.”
An interest meeting for the campus bowling club will be held at 5 p.m., Sept. 7. It is specifically designed for students and will meet a few times a week to compete. From the club, a bowling team will be formed consisting of the top six men and women bowlers, who will take their competition to the road. In the past, the team has traveled around the country to bowl against other teams.
“There used to be a bowling team and they had a great time,” Anderson said. “It was great. It was something I did when I was a student.”
The team slowly disbanded over the last few years, but this year Anderson said she will help support the team full time to re-energize the group. In addition to traveling to such places as Las Vegas to compete, the team has also helped participants gain scholarships, she said.
The UC has had bowling lanes since it first opened in 1954, and their most recent upgrade was three years ago.
“The University Center is a multi-functional facility,” said Jim Diettrich, director of the UC. “We’ve always had a recreation area in the building.”
There will also be an interest meeting for a billiards league at 6 p.m., Sept. 5 in the Down Under. This 8-ball league will be handicapped for beginners and will consist of singles or teams.
