ACA Releases First Standings Update for the 2020-21 Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia
Lamar State College-Orange leads, Adrian College sits in 2nd, and Lawrence Technological University is in 3rd
SAN ANTONIO, TX (8/20/2020) – The 2020-21 Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia kicked off on July 1, 2020, and promises to be one of the tightest races in the history of the all-inclusive national ranking system for collegiate bass fishing. With the addition of a new event to the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series (Pickwick Slam – April 2021) and numerous events being rescheduled to the fall of this year, competing teams will be presented a plethora of opportunities to earn points at a record-breaking rate. A new face is in the top spot the year as Lamar State College-Orange who has made the most of their chances early on to open the year in 1st place for the School of the Year race, with a 300+ point lead over one of the perennial college fishing powers in Adrian College, and nearly 500 points ahead of 3rd ranked Lawrence Technological University.
Lamar State College-Orange is off to a hot start this season, amassing 1,305 points from two events. Grady Doucet & Trent Buchholz kicked off the 2020-2021 campaign with a 3rd place finish at Ft. Gibson in Oklahoma. The pair weighed in five fish for 17 lbs. 1 oz. to earn 740 points at the FLW Regional. Then on July 30th, Dagan Leger & Trace Moore took home 38th place at the FLW Regional on Lake Erie. The two made the most of their long journey from southeast Texas all the way up to the great north by bringing home 565 points, and securing the number one spot in the standings to start the year.
Lurking close behind in 2nd place overall is perennial power Adrian College. Coming off of a Top 5 finish in the 2019-2020 season, the boys from Michigan have earned 930 points by fishing in three out of the four qualifying events contested to this point. Blake Johnson & Zachary Graham claimed 2nd place at the FLW Regional on Lake Erie to earn a total of 745 points for their team. Adrian College showed out on their home turf as they placed six teams in the Top 10 at that event. Then they have also accrued 185 points from the College Bass Tour. A victory, paired with a Top 10, on the CBT has them positioned squarely in 2nd. Year in and year out, Adrian College starts the season off strong by dominating the northern swing on the schedule. Look for the Michigan anglers to put together another strong season as they work to secure their first Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia in school history.
Here is a look at the Top 25 in the School of the Year race:
View the full standings here.
The first ACA event of the season will be the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley. One of the premier majors on the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series, the two-day big bass tournament will take place on Kentucky Lake in Henry County and Paris, TN on September 19th & 20th. This will be the first opportunity for schools to earn double points at a collegiate fishing event for the 2020-21 season. The winning angler will be awarded 1,000 points for their respective school. Schools will earn points for their two highest-finishing teams inside of the Top 100. Register for the Big Bass Bash here.
Fall 2020 will be one of the busiest seasons in the history of collegiate bass fishing. 13 events, offering a combined total of more than 8,000 points to the victors, will take place between now and the end of September. Here is a look at several of those events scheduled to take place in the coming weeks:
August 21, 2020 – FLW Regional: Mississippi River/LaCrosse, WI
August 22-23, 2020 – 2020 CBT Championship
August 27-29, 2020 – Bassmaster College Series: Lake Hartwell, SC
August 29, 2020 – Arkansas College Series: Lake Hamilton
September 4, 2020 – FLW Regional: Lake Guntersville
Click here to view a complete list of School of the Year qualifying events for the 2020-21 season.
