John Davis and Payton McGinnis, collegiate anglers from the University of Alabama, qualified for the 2015 Ranger Cup University Team of the Year Challenge with a seventh-place finish in the recent 10th Anniversary BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Cabela’s at Lake Pickwick.
With their performance at Pickwick, the highest place of finish by a Ranger Cup-qualified team, Davis and McGinnis also added $1,000 in contingency money from Ranger Cup University.
The Alabama teammates will be matched against anglers from Liberty University, which finished second and had the highest place of finish for a Ranger Cup University-qualified team in April’s FLW College Fishing National Championship. Anglers from the two schools will square off in a made-for-TV competition that will be televised nationally on “Americana Outdoors.” The fish off will be contested at Florida’s renowned Bienville Plantation later this year. Both teams will receive a grand-prize package that includes travel, lodging and meals, as well as the opportunity to compete for cash and prizes from fully rigged Ranger boats.
“The Ranger Cup University program gives us an awesome opportunity to be affiliated with a brand like Ranger; to make some more money for ourselves and for the club plus the chance to go on some great trips to get more exposure and compete against other great anglers,” Davis said. “They couldn’t have made it easier to be a part of the program. Just add the logo to your jersey – and the logo really does look good on our jerseys. Once you go online and register the first year then the next year you go back online and confirm and go onto the next event.”
Modeled after Ranger Cup, the most lucrative contingency rewards in the industry, Ranger Cup University is the first program designed exclusively for collegiate anglers and is open to those fishing in either FLW- or BoatUS-affiliated competitions. Signup is free, regardless of which brand of boat the anglers own. To remain qualified in the program, anglers need only adhere to clothing and logo requirements. As part of the Ranger Cup University program, participants will be able to receive specially discounted tournament gear through Gemini Custom Apparel, with no artwork or set-up fees. Through this partnership, Ranger Cup University anglers can purchase fully customized tournament jerseys for as low as $48
For complete program guidelines and details on Ranger Cup University, including payout, clothing requirements and informational videos, go online to http://www.rangerboats.com/staticPages/includes/RangerCupUniversity.cfm.
About Ranger Boats
Headquartered in Flippin, Ark., Ranger Boats is the nation’s premier manufacturer of legendary fiberglass and aluminum fishing boats, which include series of bass, multi-species, fish ‘n play, waterfowl utility and saltwater boats. Founded in 1968 by Forrest L. Wood, Ranger Boats continues its commitment to building the highest-quality, strongest-performing boats on the water.
About the ACA
The Association of Collegiate Anglers, a division of CarecoTV and in association with the The Bass Federation, is a sanctioning body developed to facilitate growth, development, and structure within competitive collegiate bass fishing. The ACA provides support to dozens of school operated regional events nationwide and owns and operates the Cabela’s Collegiate Bass Fishing Series, the largest participatory collegiate tournament circuit in the country. With dedicated collegiate fishing programming on several television networks, three nationally televised collegiate bass fishing events, and thousands of members, the ACA is the leader in competitive collegiate bass fishing.
By: Wade Middleton
