Abu Garcia and Association of Collegiate Anglers Continue Partnership for 2025 Season
SAN ANTONIO, TX (April 30, 2025) – Abu Garcia and the Association of Collegiate Anglers announce the renewal of their partnership to support college fishing as part of the 2025 Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series. Abu Garcia’s continued partnership with the ACA will include presenting sponsorship of the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year program presented by Abu Garcia, as well as maintained support for college anglers through a variety of programs and initiatives, including at the historic 20th Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops at Lake Hartwell in May of 2025.
Abu Garcia first introduced its Trade-In and Trade-Up program at the ACA National Championship a few years ago. The program has grown into an angler favorite, as almost every person in the 400 angler field participates on the night of the annual Angler & Sponsor Banquet. Through the Abu Garcia Trade-In and Trade-Up program, anglers can donate a used fishing reel to receive an Abu Garcia rod or reel in return. In 2024, Abu Garcia donated the used reels to the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
“This season, the Association of Collegiate Anglers celebrates its historic 20th season. Abu Garcia’s support of college anglers and the ACA now moves into its 20th season,” said Wade Middleton, ACA Director and President of CarecoTV. “The Trade-In and Trade-Up program at the banquet has turned into a huge hit with the anglers and is a great opportunity to provide others with access to donated fishing gear. The Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia continues to be the most sought after title for college bass fishing teams nationwide. This season’s race is entering the last portion of the season, and promises to be a very close competition.”
The Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia is a 12-month long chase in which hundreds of college bass fishing’s best teams compete to end the year ranked number one. ACA staff maintain the comprehensive ranking system on a week-to-week basis, updating the rankings as events are contested throughout the year. As part of this race, teams from California to Michigan, all the way down to Florida, compete in dozens of valuable points eligible events. With last season’s addition of triple points to be awarded at the Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops, the 2024-25 race is guaranteed to come down to the wire!
Abu Garcia is constantly working to provide anglers with high-performance products to allow anglers to go out and find success on the water. Abu Garcia’s unique mix of style and performance makes it a favoirte of collegiate anglers. One of the latest additions to their extensive lineup of fishing rods is the next generation of Veritas LTD rods. The Veritas LTD rods have received a renowned set of upgrades and a stylish new look, pushing the limits of high-performance fishing rods. These advanced new rods are stronger and lighter than previous models, ensuring anglers experience top-level performance when competing at the highest level.
About the Association of Collegiate Anglers
The Association of Collegiate Anglers (ACA) is a division of CarecoTV that was created twenty years ago to facilitate growth, development, and structure within competitive collegiate bass fishing, with emphasis on competitive fishing events nationwide. The ACA created the original BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship which has now evolved into the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series, which is now recognized as the longest-running consecutive collegiate bass fishing series in existence. The ACA has also created various other programs such as the Collegiate School of the Year Rankings system, College Bass Fishing Open, Collegiate Big Bass Bash and the College Bass Fishing Springtime Slam.
The ACA lineup of major college fishing events includes a variety of nationwide tournaments that are multi-day tournaments, all of which are televised and streamed on several networks, as well as streamed on a variety of connected platforms. These major events have no entry fees and no membership costs associated with them. The ACA also provides support to numerous schools operating regional events nationwide which is an effort to provide more opportunities to grow the exposure and awareness of college fishing.
The ACA owns the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series, Bass Pro Shops School of Year presented by Abu Garcia program, and associated assets which is widely regarded as the most comprehensive and prestigious collegiate bass fishing title today.
Thanks in part to the large diversity of media exposure the ACA provides, the series boasts the largest amount of televised and streaming coverage of any collegiate fishing series. This includes a dedicated television series on numerous television networks and streaming platforms, as well as additional coverage of select events inside other programs.
This combination includes coverage from national and regional television networks as well as being streamed online on various apps and connected devices. You can also find coverage via video on demand online at any time of past events thanks to coverage on OutdoorActionTV.com and PursuitUp.com
For more information on the ACA or the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series, visit www.CollegiateBassChampionship.com.
For more information on CarecoTV, visit www.CarecoTV.com
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