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July 5, 2007

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Collegiate bass fishing in national spotlight

As college basketball winds up its championship play, another college sport is coming out of its own March Madness flurry to kick off a season that culminates with a Fall national title.

The sport is collegiate bass fishing, and the goal for all teams is the BoatU.S. National Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship (NCBFC) scheduled for Lake Lewisville, Texas, Sept. 27-29, 2007.

Three major college bass tournaments were held last month as the season's openers. The Big 10 Classic has been an annual event for the past 12 years and the host school of the recent North Carolina State Invitational also boasts a long-established collegiate fishing program.

In contrast, the Arkansas Tech Open was an inaugural event. Its winner, the University of Arkansas, has not had a team before this year.

New collegiate fishing programs and teams appear to be an increasing trend, with much of the interest being fueled by the growing number of competitions and the elevated national attention from the FOX College Sports (FCS) television exposure.

In fact, of all the colleges and universities qualified for participation in the NCBFC, 25 are schools that started new fishing clubs since the airing of the first FCS NCBFC television show earlier this year. The movement is good news to fishing and boating companies interested in the college-aged demographic.

"To maintain a healthy industry, we must involve today's young participants as they go through their college years," said Randy Hopper, president for Ranger Boats, a second-year NCBFC sponsor. "We see college bass fishing as a way to sustain their interest and attract others."

The introduction-to-fishing aspect of the collegiate program caught the eye of the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF), the non-profit organization responsible for growing participation in the sport. "These anglers are ideal ambassadors and recruiters for the sport," said Jim Stewart, RBFF manager of education and outreach. "Our Anglers' Legacy program got behind this effort because we see it as a great way to increase interest and create excitement for angling among young people. It is proving to be a tremendous way to grow participation."

As the country's 2007 collegiate teams prepare for upcoming tournaments and/or work on plans to host their own, all have their eyes on the championship event this fall. Registration for the NCBFC opens on April 5. Eligible college and university fishing clubs have the opportunity to send up to two teams to participate in the 2007 championship. The official place to register and view all related rules is www.foxcollegesports.com.

One team that intends to be on Lake Lewisville during the September championship is from the recently formed University of Arkansas club. "In fishing, unlike in most other college sports, just about any team has a chance to win the title," said Matthew Ridgeway, a junior at the school and president of the group. "We don't have to be the biggest or the fastest guys - we just have to catch the most weight of those green fish we're after."

In FCS collegiate bass fishing events, the anglers are completely responsible for boat operation and fishing decisions. Rules and regulations vary by individual event throughout the season, but complete information for the NCBFC can be viewed at www.collegiatebasschampionship.com.

The FOX College Sports NCBFC 2006 series was made possible by a number of national sponsors, including: BoatU.S., Ranger Boats, Garmin, Evinrude, Cabela's, Minn Kota, Costa Del Mar, Anglers' Legacy, American Rodsmiths, Keelshield, Nemire Lures, Sebile and Yozuri.

FOX College Sports is the nation's leading source for live televised collegiate games and events. The BoatU.S. National Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship television series is a FOX College Sports program.

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