Reviewing the Season for Teams Ranked 21-25 in the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia

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SAN ANTONIO, TX (June 13, 2023) – At the end of May, the Association of Collegiate Anglers completed its 18th season of the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series.  With that came the culmination of the 13th annual race for Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia.  College fishing’s only all-encompassing National Rankings system awards points to schools for competing at national, regional, and local events over the course of a 12 month stretch.  Teams enter each season with a variety of goals including winning the title, being ranked in the Top 5, as well as aiming to be recognized amongst the Top 25 teams in the nation, all of which are tough tasks to accomplish.

With the 2022-23 chase for Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia now completed, the ACA will be publishing a series of articles highlighting teams that ended the year in the Top 25.  Today’s article will focus on teams ranked 21-25 in the final standings.

  1. University of Tennessee (Knoxville, TN)

Total points: 23,560

The first team to be highlighted in this feature series is the University of Tennessee.  Coming off of a 9th place finish to the 2021-22 Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia, the team from Knoxville had a bit of a dip in the rankings this season.  Tennessee finished the 2022-23 campaign ranked 21st with 23,560 points.

“We are blessed to have placed within the Top 25 this season. It shows that we can compete as a club team, but we know we can do better,” explained Cody Domingos, University of Tennessee angler.  “We have a team full of very talented anglers and have proved ourselves through the years, but we constantly strive to be the best.”

The University of Tennessee competed in all four ACA major events this season.  Their best showing as a team on the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series came at the 2022 Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley on Kentucky Lake in Henry County and Paris, TN.  Tennessee’s two biggest fish placed 55th and 105th overall, earning the school a total of 1,920 points at the first ACA event of the 2022-23 season.

The most points that Tennessee earned at any one single event came at the MLF College Championship on Lake Toho.  Two teams representing Tennessee placed inside of the Top 50.  Those two Top 50 finishes earned the school a total of 2,515 points.

A lack of consistency plagued the squad from Knoxville throughout the 2022-23 season.  With the 2023-24 race for Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia now on the horizon, Tennessee is looking to prove that they still belong in the conversation amongst college fishing’s top teams.  “That being said, we have been a Top 10 team before and we want to put ourselves back to that,” added Domingos.  “For this upcoming year, we want to finish within the Top 10. With this group of anglers, we all know it’s very possible and want to continue to prove ourselves through next season.” 

  1. Missouri State University (Springfield, MO)

Total points: 22,805

“Anytime you’re among the Top 25, it clearly shows the team’s hard work, passion, and drive to compete and that’s something we try to bring to each tournament at Missouri State,” said Zach Adamec, Missouri State University angler.  “Being a Top 25 school in the country proves we can still compete with top college powerhouses while still being a student-run organization.”

Checking in at 22nd in the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia is Missouri State University.  Located in Springfield, MO, the team from Missouri State earned a total of 22,805 points this past season.  This year’s 22nd place end of season ranking is an improvement of four spots from their 2021-22 showing.

“One of the strengths of our team is that we have a diverse group of both out of state anglers and local guys that bring a different skill set, drive, and fishing style to the team,” added Adamec.  “This allows us to be able to have at least 1-2 boats comfortably fishing at every tournament knowing that they have experience on a certain body of water.”

Throughout the 2022-23 season of the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia, Missouri State competed in and earned points at events ranging from Michigan, all through the Midwest, even down to Florida.  Missouri State competed in all four major ACA events this season, amassing over 10,500 points at those double points tournaments.  Going into the 2023-24 season, Missouri State is looking to continue to improve and move up in the National Rankings.

“Being that the 22-23 season is behind us…it’s now a thing of the past, now we shift our focus on building on what we have done and improving it. Obviously, we’re going to shoot to finish as high as possible, but we hope to crack the Top 20 or even Top 15 this upcoming year,” explained Adamec.

Zach also acknowledged that without the support of their sponsors, none of this would be possible.  “We owe a lot of our success to our great sponsors who support us as we get very little financial support from the school. Some of the industry’s finest like baitwrx, boatwrx, AFTCO, and state park marina are just a few to name for constant support in helping our team do what we do!”

  1. Georgia College & State University (Milledgeville, GA)

Total points: 20,130

Finishing just over 2,000 points behind 22nd ranked Missouri State is Georgia College.  Georgia College wrapped up the 2022-23 season in 23rd with 20,130 points.  This marks back-to-back seasons in which the team from Milledgeville, GA has ended the year inside of the Top 25 for the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia.

“It means the world to the Georgia College Bass Fishing Team to finish in the Top 25 because it’s a goal that we set at the beginning of each year and we have consistently been able to meet it for two consecutive years now,” said Josh Finnerty, team President.  “The anglers that make up our team have so much passion and drive to succeed in every tournament which really goes a long way for us. Our guys are always willing to drive to any tournament which really helps out the team a lot.”

Georgia College anglers logged plenty of miles this season as they racked up a whopping 20,130 points.  Like the two teams ahead of them in the rankings, Georgia College competed in all four ACA major events throughout the 2022-23 season on the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series.  The club earned over 2,000 points at each of the four ACA major events, including 4,215 at the triple points BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops on Lake Hartwell.  That’s the most points that Georgia College earned at any one event last season.

Looking ahead to the 2023-24 Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia, Georgia College is aiming to reach another milestone and achieve history for their team.  “One of our main goals for this upcoming season is to keep climbing in the rankings,” added Finnerty.  “Getting in the Top 25 is amazing for our team but we really want to raise the bar and make a push towards the Top 10.”

  1. East Texas Baptist University (Marshall, TX)

Total points: 18,600

Finishing the season ranked 24th in the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia is East Texas Baptist University.  The team from Marshall, TX earned a total of 18,600 points to be ranked inside of the Top 25 for the prestigious National Rankings.  This marks three out of the past four seasons in which ETBU has finished the year ranked inside of the Top 25.

ETBU got off to a great start to the season, earning over 2,000 points at all three of the major college events they competed in to begin the fall.  The most points the team earned at any one event came at the Bassmaster College Series Championship on Winyah Bay.  A pair of Top 20 finishes netted the Texas team a season high 3,320 points.

The lone ACA event the team competed in was the AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open on Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, AR.  At the ACA major, no-entry-fee, double points event, ETBU’s two highest finishing teams placed inside of the Top 50.  Brett Jolley & Cade Nettles finished in 41st, and Cason Ragsdale & Hudson Gentry took 46th.  Those two Top 50 finishes were good for 2,650 points in total.

  1. Florida Gateway College (Lake City, FL)

Total points: 17,705

Rounding out the Top 25 for the 2022-23 Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia is Florida Gateway College.  Located in Lake City, FL, Florida Gateway College finished in 25th with 17,705 points.  Florida Gateway College is the only team in the Top 25 not to compete in an ACA major event this season.

Florida Gateway College’s 2022-23 season was bolstered by strong finishes at major college Championships.  The team earned 3,660 points at the Bassmaster College Series Championship on Winyah Bay, and 2,595 points at the MLF College Championship on Lake Toho.  More than one third of the school’s points came at major college events contested in their home state of Florida.

It’s also interesting to note, Florida Gateway College is the highest finishing team of all the schools located in Florida.  This season’s 25th place finish is Florida Gateway College’s highest finish in the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia in their school’s history.