Registration Opens for Each of the Two Fall Events on the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series
SAN ANTONIO, TX (August 6, 2026) – The Association of Collegiate Anglers is set to begin its 22nd season of the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series. The upcoming 2026-27 season will consist of four tournaments, three major events and the Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops. Each tournament will boast no entry fee and no membership fee, while also paying out well over $20,000 in prizes and contingencies at each stop.
Anglers can now register for each of the first two events for the 2026-27 season on the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series. Here are the dates and locations for those two tournaments:
The new season will begin with the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley. This angler-favorite event is set to be contested at Kentucky Lake in Henry County and Paris, TN on September 19-20. The full field will compete both days, vying for their share of more than $20,000 in prizes and contingencies, as well as double points to count towards the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. Last year’s tournament boasted a record field of over 630 anglers. Day 1 will consist of four weigh-in sessions, each awarding prizes to the Top 10. On Day 2, the first two sessions will pay out the Top 10, and the third session pays down to 20th. View the fact sheet for this tournament to learn more about dates, times, and specific details.
The second ACA event this fall will be the AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open at Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, AR. Set to take place October 10-11, 2026, the AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open is a standard two-day tournament that will award double points towards the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia, and over $20,000 in prizes and contingencies. Like each event last season, the 2025 AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open had record-setting participation. More than 280 teams competed at the Arkansas River fishery. Click here to view the fact sheet for this tournament.
This upcoming campaign will mark the Association of Collegiate Anglers’ historic 22ndseason on the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series. Each tournament will feature comprehensive live coverage, unique social media content, and more. All ACA tournaments require no entry fee and no membership fee, as well as award valuable double and triple points towards the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia. Follow this link to view the ACA Official Rules.
The Association of Collegiate Anglers (ACA) is a division of CarecoTV that was created over twenty years ago to facilitate growth, development, and provide 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 allowing fans to follow anyway they choose on any device. These major events have no entry fees and no membership costs associated with them for the college anglers competing. 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
