2016-2017 Cabela’s School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia New Season gets Underway

SAN ANTONIO, TX (Sept. 9, 2016) — As summer comes to an end and students start a new school year, collegiate bass fishing tournament season and the race to win the most prestigious title in collegiate fishing gets underway.  This year’s race for Cabela’s School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia promises to be the biggest one yet. The 2016-2017 program will run from July 1, 2016 through June 4, 2017.

“We have an exciting season lined up that will provide collegiate anglers across the country opportunities to fish some of the nation’s top waterways,” said Jeremy Wonch, Cabela’s brand partnership manager. “With more than 350 teams expected to participate, this year is sure to feature strong competition and help grow excitement for the sport of fishing.”

Joining the Cabela’s School of Year program this year is Abu Garcia.  “Abu Garcia has been a proud sponsor of Collegiate Bass fishing for over 11 years and is excited to announce the latest award program,” stated Andrew Marks, Director Field Marketing for Abu Garcia.  “The prestigious School of the Year title fits perfectly with recognizing the best school and rewarding them with the best rods and reels.”

Reigning Cabela’s School of the Year winners, the University of Alabama, are definitely in the hunt for a repeat title and not far behind them will be the two-time Cabela’s School of the Year winners, the University of North Alabama.   It’s expected there will be over 50 events this year that will be used to determine this season’s title of who is the best in collegiate fishing.

The current list of ACA School of the Year events includes major tournaments from the three national collegiate circuits: Association of Collegiate Anglers’ Cabela’s Collegiate Bass Fishing Series™, Carhartt College B.A.S.S., and FLW College Fishing.  Along with these circuits, individual schools may host ACA sanctioned events throughout the year based on good participation and discretion from the Association of Collegiate Anglers.

The ACA Cabela’s School of the Year program was the first program of its kind to rank collegiate bass fishing teams across all circuits and provide the first true national collegiate fishing rankings based on team performance on the water.  The program illustrates the continued growth in collegiate bass fishing with expectations of over 350 school fishing teams competing this season.

Wade Middleton, Director of the Cabela’s Collegiate Bass Fishing Series™ and President of CarecoTV, stated that, “The Cabela’s School of the Year program is something I’ve wanted to see grow since we formed the ACA and we are proud of its growth. To see how important, it has become to these young anglers is a testament to the competitiveness in collegiate bass fishing.   This title is earned on the water; and the team that wins it will have truly earned this title; and any team finishing in the top 25 in the nation, this is a major accomplishment.

With the race now underway, these collegiate anglers are already strategically planning their practice days and tournament tactics for events down the road. The Cabela’s Collegiate Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley on Kentucky Lake, the Cabela’s Collegiate Bass Fishing Open on Lake Dardanelle, and the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship on Lake Pickwick have been events seen by many collegiate anglers before; however, a new event, the Texas Collegiate Challenge on Lake Texoma, has been added to the schedule.

For complete details on the 2016-2017 Cabela’s School of the Year Program, please visit: www.collegiatebasschampionship.com