Americana Outdoors E-Magazine - 47th Edition

The School of the Year Program

Industry Support: A Driving Force The success of collegiate fishing wouldn’t be possible without industry support. Brands like Bass Pro Shops, Garmin, and Abu Garcia have played pivotal roles, offering financial backing, products, and programs that enhance the experience for student anglers. Events like the year-end championship banquet highlight this collaboration, providing anglers with opportunities to engage with industry leaders and access valuable resources.

Looking to the Future As the collegiate fishing community celebrates this milestone, the focus shifts to the next 20 years. With advancements in technology and a growing pool of talented young anglers, the future looks bright. “They’re just going to get better and better. And through that there’s going to be more opportunities, more things created. There’s going to be people taking this further than I can ever imagine.” - Wade Middleton, ACA Director/CarecoTV President

“I don’t think it’s just a coincidence, you know, winning the last four we’ve kind of had that perfect mix of the young guys coming in that have a lot of fire in them. They’re hungry, but then it’s those older guys who also have been doing it for a while. Again, those guys are still as hungry as the freshmen. I think it’s just been that snowball effect over the past couple of years. And that’s what’s led us here.” - Nick Dumke, University of Montevallo

Bass Pro Shops School Of The Year Presented by Abu Garcia

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A cornerstone of collegiate fishing’s growth is the School of the Year Program, introduced in the series’ 10th year. This program rewards schools for excellence across various tournaments, promoting teamwork and sustained effort. “This is an all encompassing program that brings in top finishes from school run events, which are very important for fundraisers for these schools. Then, you have the B.A.S.S. and the MLF trails now, and of course the Association of Collegiate Anglers, our trails, and they’re each weighted based on participation levels that the bigger tournaments, the major tournaments get more points. This is a true system that allows these colleges to get rankings just like any other major sport that’s in the college world. And it means a lot to those organizations.” - Wade Middleton, ACA Director/CarecoTV President The University of Montevallo has set a high standard, claiming the School of the Year title for four consecutive years. Montevallo’s success reflects their commitment to fostering a mix of young talent and experienced anglers, creating a legacy that inspires future generations.

Montevallo Goes Down in Collegiate Bass Fishing History

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University of Montevallo celebrates 4th consecutive win With four School of the Year titles under their belt, where does the University of Montevallo bass fishing team go from here?

Sponsor Support Means Everything To College Fishing

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“I have grown up in the fishing industry. I’ve been passionate about bass fishing my whole life and just being able to be out here and see the new faces, see how excited everyone is. It’s exciting from my end. It’s exciting for the coaches. It’s exciting for the anglers and just to have the opportunity to come and support that with Bass Pro Shops, it’s really what I love to do.” - Lawren Garza, Bass Pro Shops - Fishing Pro Staff Specialist

The Future Is Bright For Collegiate Bass Fishing

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The Association of Collegiate Anglers’ commitment to fostering growth, supported by industry leaders, host cities, and dedicated anglers, ensures that the impact of collegiate fishing will continue to ripple through communities and the fishing world for years to come.

“I want to always try to be to where I’m that much further ahead of everybody else to where maybe nobody could ever catch us. I want our names, at the end of the day, to be at the top. When people start looking back 50 years from now, college fishing titles, like who’s at the top? I want Montevallo’s name to be at the top.” - William Crawford, Head Coach, University of Montevallo

“Garmin is down here because we do a multi faceted thing with the collegiate bass trail. We do a contingency for the angler who places the highest with exclusive Garmin electronics. We also have a very good program where we offer discounted units to our collegiate anglers, which really helps get more units out and gets more young anglers in the sport.” - Levi Bruns, Garmin - Brand Sponsorship Specialist