It has been nearly five months since the Professional Women's Bowling Association bowled its last tournament. The organization finished the last stop of it's spring-summer swing on July 13, in suburban Dallas.

On August 11 the PWBA announced that it was canceling its fall tour and on September 1, the organization officially suspended operations.

But negotiations are underway that could have the PWBA back on the lanes sometime in 2004. Bowling promoter Steve Sanders is negotiating an agreement to purchase the PWBA from its current owner, John Sommer Jr. The negotiations hinge on whether Sanders is able to reach agreement on television arrangements for a "new PWBA tour" with ESPN.

Sanders has ben involved in the bowling industry since 1989. His company, Pinacle Events, markets and promotes a series of major amateur bowling events, is hoping to put together a 20-event schedule for the PWBA in 2004 for a total prize fund of better than $2 million. All 20 events would be televised by ESPN and the tournament schedule would be set around ESPN's existing programming lineup.