PITTSBURGH (AP) _ Duquesne University officials announced the school will add women’s bowling to its athletic program as its 17th sport.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports (http://bit.ly/1T6WOwZ ) the program will begin play in the 2016-17 season and will be the school’s 11th sponsored women’s sport.

Bowling became an NCAA-sanctioned sport in 2004. More than 60 schools across the NCAA’s three divisions field a team.

Interim athletic director Phil Racicot cited the popularity of the sport in western Pennsylvania as one of the reasons for bowling’s addition. Racicot says bowling is one of the fastest-growing sports at the intercollegiate level.

The new sport comes five years after the athletic department cut four men’s varsity sports, including baseball.

The university says it’ll begin the process of selecting a head coach immediately.