National Bowling League

The National Bowling League (NBL) is a defunct professional bowling league in the United States that existed from February 24, 1960 to July 9, 1962. The league was formed as an attempt to ride the popularity of bowling television shows, and also to challenge the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA).

The league was the brainchild of Leonard "Len" Homel, who thought up the idea in 1959, but did not gain support until an article by Don Snyder in the January 1960 issue of Bowlers Journal. Unlike the PBA, bowlers in the NBL were members of teams that competed against squads from other cities, like the successful National Football League (NFL). A 135-match schedule was planned, five games a week, leading to a "World Series of Bowling".

Only a single season of play was held. The season began in October 1961 with 10 teams, but failed to attract fans, and four of the teams folded in the first three months. A "World Series" was held in May 1962 that attracted about 1,000 spectators, and the league was declared defunct two months later.