Montevallo Moves To Number One in the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia
Carson-Newman University drops to 2nd, and UNA slips to 3rd
SAN ANTONIO, TX (February 7, 2024) – The Association of Collegiate Anglers announces the latest update to the standings for the 2023-24 Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. This is college fishing’s only all-encompassing National Rankings system, and the race for this year’s title is just now past the halfway mark of the season. With hundreds of teams now preparing for the late winter and early spring stretch run of the season, it’s apparent that several schools are looking to climb into the Top 25 and finish as high up in the rankings as possible, while also hoping to crack that prestigious place in the Top 10 in the nation.
A familiar school has taken over 1st place as the University of Montevallo has moved up two places to be ranked number one in the most recent rankings of the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. Carson-Newman University falls one place down to 2nd, and the University of North Alabama slides to 3rd after previously being ranked 2nd. Montevallo and UNA are both past multi-time winners of the School of the Year title, while Carson-Newman is looking to finish the year ranked number one for their first time ever.
The latest points update features results from the two most recent Bassmaster College Series events.
In the previous points update, three-time defending title winner Montevallo was ranked third in the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. After earning 4,930 points from the last two major double points events combined, the University of Montevallo is again in 1st place for the National Rankings.
Montevallo earned a total of 2,460 points at the Bassmaster College Series event on Lake Murray in South Carolina. Peyton Harris & Dalton Head won the tournament with a two-day total weight of 43 pounds 12 ounces. Fellow teammates Logan Plueger & Charlie Wright finished in 5th place.
The following week, at Clarks Hill Lake, Montevallo again placed two teams in the Top 5 at a major double points event. Their two highest-finishing teams wrapped up the event in 2ndand 3rd overall. Brenton Godwin & Hunter Odom placed 2nd, and Peyton Harris & Dalton Head claimed 3rd. Those two Top 5 finishes earned Montevallo a total of 2,470 points.
Montevallo earned the most points of any team competing at either of the past two Bassmaster College Series events.
Trailing Montevallo by just over 1,000 points is Carson-Newman University. After achieving its highest ranking in school history, Carson-Newman has slid from 1st place in the previous rankings down to 2nd. Carson-Newman did not compete in the Bassmaster College Series event at Lake Murray, but did earn 2,310 points at Clarks Hill. For the season, Carson-Newman has earned a total of 21,310 points.
Rounding out the Top 3 is former two-time title winner University of North Alabama. After being ranked 2nd in the previous points update, UNA has fallen to 3rd in the National Rankings. Like the team ranked in 2nd ahead of them, UNA only competed in one of the most recent Bassmaster College Series events. UNA team members earned a total of 2,280 points at Lake Murray. UNA is roughly 800 points behind Carson-Newman, and just over 2,000 points behind top-ranked Montevallo.
Each of the Top 3 teams have competed in the same number of double points events on the season. With each team on equal footing at this point in February, the current standings provide a good snapshot of just how tight the race for that number one spot truly is.
Here is a look at teams that made significant moves up in the latest update to the standings for the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia:
4) Lander University – Previously Ranked 6th
7) Emmanuel University – Previously Ranked 13th
11) Adrian College – Previously Ranked 12th
14) University of Tennessee – Previously Ranked 15th
15 Drury University – Previously Ranked 16th
18) Dallas Baptist University – Previously Ranked 19th
21) Bryan College – Previously Ranked 24th
Click here to see the complete updated rankings.
The latest update to the standings for the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia featured a number of major shakeups inside of the Top 25. Along with the teams that made significant moves inside of the Top 25, Missouri State University was the lone team to move into the Top 25 after previously being ranked on the outside looking in. The team from Springfield, MO moved up three places in this points update, going from 27th previously to now being ranked 24th.
