|
The lure? The National Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship (NCBFC) and a seven-week series on Fox College Sports that gets young people excited about angling and rewards the collegiate clubs that help share the sport.
The Program
The pro-style competition, presented by BoatU.S., was held in fall 2006 in Texas and broadcast on FOX College Sports in January and February 2007. Program highlights include:
41 two-person fishing teams
24 colleges and universities from across the nation
Top conferences represented including the Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-10 and SEC
As one element of the show – the Anglers' Legacy Recruitment Competition rewarded schools who recruited the most new members into their fishing clubs with money to purchase fishing equipment. The contest awarded $10,000 in total prize money with $2,500 going to the top recruiting team.
The Impact
"We know that the future of fishing lies in engaging our young people, and we know that avid anglers are the most successful at sharing the sport," said RBFF Education and Outreach Manager Jim Stewart. "This is a promotion that rewards everyone for doing the right thing. And it's fun to watch, too."
RBFF is working with its partners at the Future Fisherman Foundation and the National Recreation and Park Association to create opportunities to elevate these students/athletes as mentors in physical education and parks and recreational programming. The Championship promotes responsible use of the resource with a 100% live release at the tournament.
What's Next?
After a successful inaugural year, event organizers are expanding the next Championship from 41 to 100 teams. Next year's program includes increased television coverage and up to 15 preliminary fishing tournaments around the country in advance of the national championship.
Angler's Legacy Take the Pledge link:
www.anglerslegacy.org/pledge.aspx
|
|
|
