ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA - In college athletics, football and basketball reign supreme in televised competition. However, there's a new sport in town that has begun to crown champions on a field of play far removed from the grid iron or field house - collegiate bass fishing.
The sport's governing body, the Association of College Anglers (ACA), has announced its 2010 tournament season has now grown to five televised events. The schedule includes the fifth annual BoatU.S. Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship , which returns to Texas' Lake Lewisville May 24-28, 2010.
"Four years ago when we started supporting the championship, there were
about 40 schools with organized clubs and no sanctioning body," said
BoatU.S. Angler Director Mike Pellerin. "Once this sport starting
gaining critical television coverage, its popularity has soared. Today,
there are over 200 clubs, with the ACA leading the effort to grow bass
fishing at the collegiate level. We have also now witnessed the first
college in the nation - Bethel University in McKenzie, Tennessee - to
officially classify their fishing team an 'athletic sport,' putting it
on par with other team sports for recruitment and athletic
scholarships. We hope that trend continues."
The ACA reports that nearly 40 more schools are currently in the
process of organizing a sanctioned team. The ACA was formed through an
affiliation with the BoatU.S. Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship and
other sponsors. The organization has been made possible by a joint
effort among The Bass Federation Inc. (TBF), Careco Multimedia, and a
host of supporting companies. The ACA is a "federation" under the TBF
umbrella, having its own board of directors, by-laws, and benefits.
The 2010 ACA schedule now includes five televised events produced by
Careco Multimedia which will air on the Versus network next year (check
your local listings):
- Stephen F. Austin State University Bucketmouth Bass Tournament: December 18 and 19 on Sam Rayburn Lake, TX. This event draws many anglers from colder climates.
- Arkansas Tech University Invitational: March 25 and 26 at Lake Dardanelle, AR. This is a popular Spring Break tournament.
- Southern Collegiate Bass Fishing Series Championship: April 2 and 3 on Wheeler Lake, AL. Hosted by the Auburn University Bass Sports Club, this is the largest regional bass fishing series in the nation.
- Fifth Annual BoatU.S. Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship: May 24-28 on Lake Lewisville, TX. The largest and most prestigious college bass fishing event of all.
- Collegiate Bass Fishing Open: June 21-25 on Kentucky Lake, TN. Hosted by Paris/Henry County, Tennessee, this is a new event that uses an innovative "team" format, where everyone gets in on the action.
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