The Valparaiso University bowling program and head coach Shon Washington announced its schedule for the 2017-18 schedule on Wednesday, a slate which includes a pair of tournaments hosted by the Crusaders and which opens this weekend at the Allstate Sugar Bowl Invitational in Kenner, La.

Following this weekend’s opener, hosted by Tulane, Valpo has a much shorter trip on the docket next weekend, as it travels to Fairview Heights, Ill. for the Brunswick Bearcat Open, hosted by McKendree. The Crusaders then host their first tournament of the year Nov. 4-5 – the Crusader Challenge, which will be contested at Lynwood Bowl in Lynwood, Ill.

Valpo wraps up the 2017 portion of the schedule Nov. 10-12 at UW-Whitewater’s Warhawk Classic in Kenosha, Wis. before breaking for the holidays.

The Crusaders return to competition as the calendar turns to 2018 at the Mid-Winter Invitational in Jonesboro, Ark., hosted by Arkansas State on Jan. 12-14. Valpo hosts its second tournament of the season Feb. 9-11 – the Crusader Classic, which will be held in Richton Park, Ill. at Lakewood Bowl. The regular season wraps up March 2-4 at the Big Red Invitational in Lincoln, Neb., hosted by Nebraska.

The fourth annual Southland Bowling League Championship will be contested March 23-25 in Dallas, Texas. Should the Crusaders make the NCAA Championship, they will compete April 12-14 from St. Louis, Mo. for the national championship crown.

Washington enters his second season in his second stint as Crusader head coach this year, and will be guiding a young squad. Valpo returns just three letterwinners from last year’s team, none of whom are seniors this year, and welcomes eight newcomers – seven of whom are true freshmen.