Last month, Bethel University was crowned the 2017-2018 Cabela’s School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia, joining Bryan College, University of North Alabama, and a long list of other teams in the exclusive club of Cabela’s School of the Year winners.
2017 – 2018: Bethel University
2016 – 2017: Bryan College
2015 – 2016: University of Alabama
2014 – 2015: University of North Alabama
2013 – 2014: University of North Alabama
Immediately following the conclusion of the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Cabela’s on May 25th, the 2018-2019 tournament season began. With a new season now underway, the ACA is introducing several new rule changes for the upcoming year to help crown a champion in one of the most challenging races in college fishing.
“We’re excited to see this program grow, not only to recognize the top college bass fishing team in the nation for the past 12 months, but also to help identify and recognize the teams ranked in the top 25 in the nation based upon their on the water performance. I’ve said it for years, this isn’t a popularity contest. It’s not about one trail or event, it’s about a season long grind, fishing bodies of water all over the nation at various levels. The teams that win and end up ranked in the top 25 should be proud of their finishes,” says Wade Middleton, Director of the Association of Collegiate Anglers.
The 2018-2019 major event locations for the Cabela’s Collegiate Bass Fishing Series, run by the Association of Collegiate Anglers, has been set and these nationally televised major events will provide a wide range of points earning opportunities.
*Dates and locations subject to change.
– AFTCO Collegiate Bass Fishing Open – Lake Dardanelle
-Texas Lunker Challenge presented by Mossy Oak Elements – Sam Rayburn
-Cabela’s Collegiate Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley – Kentucky Lake
-BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Cabela’s – Pickwick Lake
ACA major events will award 500 points to the winning school. Points will decrease incrementally by five points for each team, all the way to the last team earning points for their place in the standings. A team must weigh in fish in order to receive points. For schools with more than two teams participating, the two highest finishing teams in the final standings will earn points towards the SOY race. Schools may enter as many teams in Cabela’s Collegiate Bass Fishing Series events as desired.
All F.L.W. and B.A.S.S. college events will count towards the Cabela’s School of the Year point totals. For the 2018-2019 season, first place in all major F.L.W. and B.A.S.S. tournaments will be worth 400 points regardless of field size. Point distribution will decrease in 10 point increments all the way down to the last place team earning points for their places in the standings if they weigh fish and are noted in the standings. Only the highest finishing team from every school will earn points at any of these events.
Outside of major national events, B.A.S.S also runs numerous state qualifying events. Schools will be able to earn points in the state qualifier for the state that their school is located in. First place will earn 75 points at each event and the standings will decrease in five point increments. Results for B.A.S.S. state qualifying events must be provided to the ACA by emailing Amanda at [email protected]. Any school participating in a B.A.S.S. state-run event may provide these results to the ACA. If results are not provided to the ACA, they will not be included in the school of the year program. Only one team from each school will earn points at these events.
Another way of earning points towards the race for Cabela’s School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia is through school-run sanctioned events. Universities and colleges will be allowed to host up to three sanctioned events for this upcoming season upon approval from ACA staff. The host school will earn points as part of a hosting bonus based upon the following criteria:
-School-Run Events with 50 or more boats earn a 100-point bonus
-School-Run Events with 40-49 boats earn a 75-point bonus
-School-Run Events with 30-39 boats earn a 50-point bonus
-School-Run Events with 20-29 boats earn a 40-point bonus
-School-Run Events with 10-19 boats earn a 30-point bonus
The winning team of a school-run event is eligible to receive 100 points towards the Cabela’s School of the Year. Points will decrease in five point increments until the last boat in the standings that weighed in a fish receives five points. Schools interested in hosting a sanctioned event must contact Amanda at [email protected] directly.
“We feel these school run events are such an integral part of college fishing as many clubs use these as fundraisers to help travel to the national level events and we want to both reward and incentivize schools and groups to support these events,” says Wade Middleton, Director of the Association of Collegiate Anglers.
In addition to the above points earning opportunities, the ACA is looking at several other ways to add points to the school of year program, and college anglers should expect to learn more about those soon. Prizes for top finishing teams in the 2018-2019 season will also be announced shortly .
For a complete look at the rules for the 2018-2019 Cabela’s School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia,
2018-2019 Season —June 1, 2018 – May 24, 2019
Points System Description
Teams competing on behalf of their collegiate fishing clubs in any major ACA events will earn points that accumulate in the Cabela’s School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia race based upon the ACA Points System.
ACA Major Events include (*Dates & locations subject to change):
AFTCO Collegiate Bass Fishing Open – Lake Dardanelle
Texas Lunker Challenge presented by Mossy Oaks Elements – Lake TBD
Cabela’s Collegiate Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley – Kentucky Lake
BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Cabela’s – Pickwick Lake
In those major events, as identified by the ACA, up to two (2) teams per university/college fishing club may earn points in each of the recognized tournaments. In the event a college fishing club has more than two (2) teams in a tournament, points will only be awarded based on the two (2) highest finishing teams’ final standings. The ACA Major Events are critical in shaping the final outcome as these nationally televised events are worth “double” points, meaning that two (2) teams per college fishing club may earn points.
ACA Major Events will be worth 500 points regardless of field size. 1st place will receive 500 points and will decrease by 5 point increments all the way to the last team earning points for their places in the standings. You must weigh in fish in order to receive points.
FLW and B.A.S.S. Series Major Events
All FLW and B.A.S.S. college events will also be counted towards Cabela’s School of the Year points. Only the one (1) top finishing team from each school will be awarded points based on the Points Formula listed below.
All FLW and B.A.S.S events will be worth 400 points regardless of field size. 1st place will receive 400 points and points will decrease by 10 point increments all the way to the last team earning points for their places in the standings. Teams finishing below the last place awarded points will not earn any points.
Note: Only one (1) team will earn points in these events no matter how many teams are entered from each school.
B.A.S.S. State Qualifying Events
Schools will be able to earn points in the state qualifier for the state in which their school is located. Only the one (1) top finishing team from each school will be awarded points based on the Points Formula listed below.
First place will earn 75 points at each event and the standings will decrease in 5 point increments all the way to the last team earning points for their place in the standings. Teams finishing below the cut off for last place will not earn any points.
Results for B.A.S.S. state qualifying events must be provided to the ACA by emailing Amanda at [email protected]. Any school participating in a B.A.S.S. state-run event may provide these results to the ACA. If results are not provided to the ACA, they will not be included in the school of the year program.
School-Run Sanctioned Events
Competing in school-run ACA-sanctioned events will allow universities/colleges to earn additional points based on their top finishing team or teams.
Universities/colleges will be allowed to host up to 3 sanctioned events for the year. If the school-run ACA-sanctioned event is an Open/Invitational, the top finishing teams from each school will be awarded points at any Open/Invitational event. When competing in a trail, the university/college hosting the sanctioned event will determine which 3 events will count for points. Only the top finishing team from each school will earn points based on the breakdown below.
All School-Run events that are sanctioned for Cabela’s School of the Year points will be eligible to receive a max of 100 points for 1st place regardless of the field size. Points will decrease in 5 point increments until last boat in the standings that weighed in fish will receive 5 points. All school run events must have at least 5 different schools competing to be sanctioned.
Hosting Bonus:
School-Run Events with 50 or more boats earn 100-point bonus
School-Run Events with 40 to 49 boats earn 75-point bonus
School-Run Events with 30-39 boats earn 50-point bonus
School-Run Events with 20-29 boats earn 40-point bonus
School-Run Events with 10-19 boats earn 30-point bonus
School-Run Sanctioned Events Criteria
The ACA encourages schools to create and run their own tournament or tournament trail; however, it is up to the ACA to decide whether or not to sanction the event(s) to go towards Cabela’s School of the Year race. ACA will not sanction more than three (3) events from one (1) school per year.
* All schools that host an ACA sanctioned event MUST have at least six members of their team signed up for TBF (The Bass Federation) Memberships.
This helps to ensure proper insurance coverage and other benefits. This will also get those 6 members their FLW Memberships.
* In order for a single open style event to be considered to earn points towards the Cabela’s School of Year standings: it must be an event open to all university/college sanctioned clubs nationwide, have at least 5 schools compete, and not allow any non-college anglers to compete in it. No school will be allowed to host more than three events during any year. See below for point’s breakdown.
* In order for a trail to be considered for Cabela’s School of Year Standings it must meet at a minimum of the following considerations: have four or more tournaments (at least 3 qualifying events plus a championship), must include more than three (3) different schools at each tournament and have a Championship event that has at least five (5) schools. The university/college hosting the sanctioned event will determine which 3 events will count for points.
* Points will be awarded at the end of said tournament(s) or tournament trail upon verifiable results being provided.
Hosting Requirements
* Schools must contact Amanda Gutierrez directly at [email protected] about sanctioning their event.
* Schools must have at least six team members signed up for The Bass Federation Memberships.
* Schools must email a tournament flier with full tournament information (tournament director contact information, location, date, ramps, rules, entry fees, etc.) two weeks prior to start date of tournament to Amanda Gutierrez at [email protected].
* Schools must provide a complete recap within 5 days of each event or results will not be counted towards School of year and the host school will not be allowed to host another event for at least one year.
Name, School, Email and Phone Number for each angler competing
Complete standings for all teams competing
3-5 photos of top finishers
* Schools must be in good standing with the ACA in order to host a tournament or series.
Ties
Ties in qualifying events will be resolved according to league rules prior to assigning point values.
Ties in the Cabela’s School of the Year Program will be broken at the conclusion of the season in the following manner:
1st Tie-breaker: The school with the highest number of points accumulated in the four Cabela’s Collegiate Bass Fishing Series events (Big Bass Bash, Open, Texas College Challenge, and Championship)
2nd Tie-breaker: The school that fished the greatest number of Cabela’s Collegiate Bass Fishing Series events
3rd Tie-breaker: The school with the greatest number of points in the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship.
Questions
If you have questions regarding the Cabela’s School of the Year program, please contact the ACA at: [email protected].
The ACA Director of Operations has any and all say in final point allocations towards the Cabela’s School of Year Race.
By: Amanda Gutierrez
