Association of Collegiate Anglers | Collegiate Bass Fishing Series

ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGIATE ANGLERS

#WeAreCollegiateBass

Table of Contents

3 | The Beginning: Collegiate Bass Fishing 4 | Who We Are Today 5 | National Champions 6 | Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia 8 | Discount & Incentive Programs 10 | 2025-2026 ACA Tournament Schedule 11 | Social Media Exposure 12 | On-Site Activation & Promotion 14 | Media & Viewership | Reaching the “Cord-Cutters” 17 | Live Streaming & Additional Assets 19 | Memorial Scholarships & Academic Excellence 20 | Marketing Opportunities & Packages

NORTH CAROLINA STATE Chris Craven | Alex Freeman

2006 CHAMPIONS

The Beginning: Collegiate Bass Fishing

20 years ago, the Association of Collegiate Anglers was just a vision, and seemingly a long shot, then became a reality when 40 plus boats towed by college anglers made their way to Lewisville, Texas in hopes of taking home the first ever title of Champion in the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship. That event has been widely regarded as the spark that kicked off scholastic fishing and launched the sport of college bass fishing to a national audience and provided those anglers with a trail to compete on and represent their respective schools. As the old saying goes, “The rest is History.” Fast forward to now, and the ACA Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops is the longest-running major college event in existence and the Association of Collegiate Anglers was born from a need to provide unwavering support to both sponsors and anglers.

UNIVERSITY OF MONTEVALLO

Dalton Head | Peyton Harris

2025 CHAMPIONS

Association of Collegiate Anglers | Who We Are Today

SCHOOL OF THE YEAR

TELEVISION & STREAMING

DIGITAL MEDIA

DISCOUNTS & INCENTIVES

MAJOR TOURNAMENTS

SCHOLARSHIPS

WEBSITE

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

NETWORKS

SOCIAL MEDIA

COLLEGE FISHING’S ONLY ALL ENCOMPASSING NATIONAL RANKINGS SYSTEM

PODCAST

AND MORE!

INCLUDES DOZENS OF ACA SANCTIONED SCHOOL-RUN EVENTS NATIONWIDE

STREAMING

LIVE TOURNAMENT STREAMING

The following pages outline the details of all these elements that define the ACA.

AND MORE!

National Champions | 20 Years and Counting

From the very first Collegiate Bass Fishing Series Championship trophy that was hoisted over the collegiate anglers’ heads more than 20 years ago, the prestige and excitement of earning this National Champion title has been real, intense, and sought after by a growing number of collegiate anglers each year.

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School of the Year Bass Pro Shops Presented by Abu Garcia

The goal of every college fishing program is to win the title of Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia, there’s no doubt about it. Week in and week out, college anglers compete against each other on some of the best lakes in the country. The ACA School of the Year program was the first program of its kind to rank collegiate bass fishing clubs across all circuits (ACA, B.A.S.S, MLF) and provide the first true national collegiate fishing rankings based on team performance on the water at numerous collegiate events. The program illustrates the continued growth in collegiate bass fishing with expectations of over 400 school fishing teams competing this season.

School of the Year | Title Claimed

Tournament wins and Championship titles are revered by collegiate anglers, but earning the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia title is what proves a school’s bass fishing team is the best of the best – all striving for consistency at the top, across many lakes nationwide, in order to bring home the highly sought after School of the Year trophy!

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ACA Partners | Discounts & Incentives With the right gear and equipment, an angler can accomplish any goal they set their mind to. Currently, 20 companies partner with the ACA to offer a discount and/or incentive program to help and reward college anglers.

As these student anglers graduate college, they will obtain jobs and begin earning a disposable income that will be used to purchase new equipment ranging from rods, reels, baits, all the way to boats and electronics. Now is the time to start building brand loyalty amongst these anglers.

The ACA and Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series provide brands with a platform to access some of the best young names in college fishing at all levels. Let us help you design and manage a program to help everyone meet their needs.

ACA Partners | Discounts & Incentives

Brand Loyalty Exposure of the brand to this group of anglers is important because they will continue the legacy and traditions of the outdoors. This group is on the verge of having discretionary income and by showing support for the events they participate in we can create loyal customers as they create the next wave of future anglers.

80% Anglers Regularly Using ACA Discounts

Anglers who will Continue to Fish after Graduating from College More Likely to Purchase a Brand with Discount Program

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ACA Events | 2025-2026 Schedule

Below is the 2025-2026 schedule for the Association of Collegiate Anglers tournaments. The ACA expects continued strong turnout of anglers competing, thousands of persons engaging on social media and watching live coverage, and the ACA will always focus on growing and promoting the sport of collegiate bass fishing!

Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops May 2026

Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley September 2025

AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open October 2025

Hartwell Slam April 2026

Kentucky Lake | Paris, TN

Lake Dardanelle | Russellville, AR

Lake Hartwell | Anderson, SC

Pickwick Lake | Florence, AL

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Tournament Days: September 19 20, 2025 $25,000+ in prizes & contingencies awarded to anglers.

Tournament Days: October 11-12, 2025 $25,000+ in prizes & contingencies awarded to anglers.

Tournament Days: March 28-26, 2026 $20,000+ in prizes & contingencies awarded to anglers.

Tournament Days: May 21-22, 2026 400 of the Top Collegiate Anglers will compete for 2 days. $35,000+ in prizes & contingencies awarded to anglers.

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Social Media | Exposure

Collegiate Bass Fishing Series social media properties provide exposure to active followers across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and YouTube. ACA partners receive exposure through social media posts across all platforms. All content can be provided to partners for usage separately as well.

Collegiate Anglers Active on Social Media

85%

On-Site Event | Activation & Promotion

More Angler Promotion at every ACA Tournament Weigh-In

E-blasts, digital campaigns, and other messaging are designed to promote ACA partner programs. These e-blasts & messaging are sent to our comprehensive list of college anglers at every ACA tournament. E-blasts, Social Media Posts, Digital Campaigns around every ACA Tournament

Direct Exposure to Hundreds of Anglers at Every ACA Tournament

ACA partners have a table/booth set up with promotional items; including QR codes, product information, and more. Each angler will be directly provided with access to ACA partner discount programs.

At every ACA tournament, ACA partner programs and initiatives are promoted. Promotional materials, signs, banners, and QR codes are placed around weigh-in to target the full field of hundreds of anglers, as well as the many parents, coaches, and supporters in attendance.

Record Breaking | Anglers & Attendees

This 2024-2025 season, the Association of Collegiate Anglers reported record-breaking participation in every tournament event. Across the two Fall tournaments, 1,100 anglers competed in ACA events. Close to 600 anglers competed at the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley, and over 500 anglers competed at Lake Dardanelle for the AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open. With more anglers, also comes more coaches, families, and friends who are in attendance, as well as local spectators.

Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops

AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open

Traveling from around the nation, 400 of the top collegiate anglers battled it out for the National Championship Title as well as coveted School of the Year Points.

Over 500 of the top collegiate anglers competed in this no entry-fee, nationally televised, double points event.

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Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley

530+ collegiate anglers competed at Pickwick Lake for 2-days – no entry fees, lots of School of the Year points on the line, and amazing bags of bass brought to the scales. Pickwick Slam

Nearly 600 of college fishing’s top anglers were on hand to compete for more than $30,000 in prizes and contingencies.

The past 5 years have seen a consist 5% average growth each year in numbers of anglers competing in ACA tournaments.

Media | Viewership

The ACA provides the only nationally televised and streaming programming dedicated to the sport of collegiate bass fishing. With this, the ACA delivers more coverage and exposure for our partners, as well as for the growth of collegiate bass fishing.

 Broadcast Television: 5+ Million Viewers Reached Annually  Digital Streaming: 5+ Million Minutes Streamed Annually

Networks

Digital Streaming

Billboards & Commercials Graphical billboards & commercials are seen within all episodes of the ACA programs – whether they are being broadcast on traditional television or streamed on any smart device. Billboards include voice-over with partner tag lines as well as image and logo; commercials within digital streaming content will be from fifteen seconds to one minute in length.

In-Show Content

Coverage of ACA tournament events and collegiate bass fishing content is seen year-round within the ACA’s dedicated Series and features in Americana Outdoors. The TV series is seen on 11 national and regional networks, including Pursuit Channel, World Fishing Network, Wild TV Canada, FanDuel Sports Southwest & Midwest, Space City Home Network, Wild TV, and more.

As the ACA produces tournament coverage, content for all ACA partners is acquired in the field as well. This coverage is then utilized within programs and videos to provide exposure for our partners. Any in-show content for ACA partners will also include engaging lower-thirds that provide information about our partners, their products, and where to purchase.

Viewers watch coverage of ACA tournament events and highlights from any device, anytime they want. Programs stream at a minimum on Outdoor Action TV, Pluto TV, and PursuitUP. This reaches viewers using Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, iOS, Android, and others as added; as well as FAST Channels available on Freecast, TCL, Vizio, Xiaomi, and more.

2024 Episodes

Hartwell Slam – Day 2

Championship – Day 1

Hartwell Slam – Day 1

Shown here are links to all the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series episodes from 2024. All episodes are streamed continuously, aired on traditional broadcast television, and shared and re-shared everywhere to maximize viewing and exposure.

Big Bass Bash – Day 2

Championship – Day 2

Big Bass Bash – Day 1

AFTCO Open – Day 1

AFTCO Open – Day 2

Reaching the “Cord-Cutters”

STREAMING EVERYWHERE

The ACA and Careco understand that viewers consume content across a spectrum of devices. We leverage a diverse range of assets from platforms like Roku, YouTube, Facebook, and others, in addition to our own proprietary digital network, Outdoor Action. We also collaborate with platforms like Pursuit UP, to ensure that our combined platforms effectively reach everyone possible.

Series episodes and bonus content are streamed: • YouTube • Pluto TV | Backcountry • PursuitUP • Outdoor Action TV – VOD  Roku  Apple TV | iOS  Amazon Fire  Android TV | App  Glewed TV • Outdoor Action TV – FAST Channel  TCL Channel  Freecast  Xiaomi

This multi-faceted delivery system guarantees the availability of content 24/7.

The Association of Collegiate Anglers has its own dedicated channel on Outdoor Action TV, for viewers to stream the series for free…anywhere, anytime! Download our Outdoor Action TV App on your favorite device to enjoy on-demand content or tune into our live channel.

Outdoor Action TV is where we give passionate outdoor enthusiasts a variety of recent programming at their fingertips! Our viewers are guaranteed to find something to watch anytime they want without paying any subscription fees. We add new content weekly to include new episodes, new series and short videos to keep our channels fresh.

WATCH OUR LIVE OUTDOOR ACTION TV FEED NOW

Digital platforms provide 24/7 access to view content. The ACA and Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series stream content across many different platforms. Those platforms include YouTube, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, iOS Android, and many more. Here you will find full episodes, sponsor highlights with anglers, and other exclusive content. Live Streaming

Every ACA Tournament is Live Streamed

Available from Any Device

Live Leaderboard & Live Blog Coverage

The ACA provides live streaming coverage from take-off through weigh-in and prizes – reaching thousands of viewers.

Viewers can catch the live streaming of every ACA tournament from smart phones, computers, and televisions.

In addition to providing live streaming of weigh in at every ACA major tournament, the ACA shares live blogs on the website, updates across social media platforms, and videos from on the water are shared from every major event.

The ACA provides many additional opportunities to our partners for reaching the desired angler demographic, industry leaders, and more. Furthering Reach & Impressions

Additional Assets

 ACA Website: this is the go-to website for all news related to collegiate bass fishing! ACA tournament schedules, results from many other tournament organizations, School of the Year updates, photos, and general bass fishing news can all be found here.  E-Blasts & Text Messages: the ACA sends regular e-blasts and text messages to our extensive angler and industry contact list to further promote our partners and programs.  ACA Podcast: the ACA produces an almost weekly podcast where we catch up with current collegiate anglers in the spotlight, discuss partner programs, conservation, talk with host sites, and more!

Memorial Scholarship & Academic Excellence

The ACA has created a variety of programs and features to showcase the success of student anglers on and off the water, as well as a memorial scholarship fund. Bass fishing is a loved sport, but equally as important are angler academics, community service, and preserving the memory of those who encompassed all these things – all things the ACA recognizes with these programs.

Academic Excellence Program

Travis Ely Memorial Scholarship

During the ACA’s 20 th season, the All Academic Team presented by Yamaha was created for the 2024-25 school year. This award and nomination process is designed to call attention to, and reward, student anglers for their success in the classroom. many nominations were received, and 12 deserving anglers were recognized for their academic excellence. Throughout this season,

Travis Ely, a former member of the Purdue University Bass Fishing Team, passed away in a car accident on October 16, 2023 while returning back to school from a bass fishing tournament. Travis’ legacy has left a lasting impact on the fishing community. The Travis Ely Memorial Scholarship has been created to carry on Travis’ memory and will honor an active college angler for his/her impact both on the water and in the community.

The ACA works to provide custom marketing packages for any budget.

Lunker Package

Keeper Package

Champion Package Top-tier ACA packages will include everything provided in Lunker & Keeper packages, plus more options: • Product exclusivity • Title sponsorship of available event(s) • More product content created and shared

All ACA partner packages include on site activation at all events, primarily focused on the Championship event. • Banners with logo on-site • Logo on every e-Blast • Partnership press release • Banner ads on website • Social Media sharing & tagging • Discount/Contingency program

Additional ACA packages will always include everything provided in the Lunker package, plus options like: • Graphical billboards within episodes • Commercials airing nationally, regionally, and digitally • Additional dedicated e-Blasts • Product content created • Lake Preview brought to you by

• Exposure in other properties such as Americana Outdoors and Fisherman’s Handbook Marketing Opportunities & Packages

The ACA values each partnership forged with partners through the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series. Partner support is what fuels tournament fishing and provides these young college anglers with the tools needed to compete at a high level.

Wade Middleton President 210.573.7057 (cell) wade@carecotv.com Dennis Presley Director of Sales & Marketing 662.322.2500 (cell) dennis@carecotv.com Kyle Curry Sr. Editor | ACA Managing Director

214.226.4388 (cell) kyle@carecotv.com

CarecoTV LLC 825 West Bitters, Suite 200 San Antonio, TX 78216 210.697.8081

Collegiatebasschampionship.com Carecotv.com

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