College Bass returns to North Little Rock with the ESPNU cameras for the sixth annual College Bass National Championship Thursday, July 8-Saturday, July 10. More than 60 colleges and universities have qualified for the National Championship and will cast their lines in the Arkansas River for more than $14,000 in scholarship monies and prizes.
The College Bass National Championship kicks off each day with the morning launch at daybreak at the North Little Rock Riverfront ramp. The daily weigh-ins will take place at the Academy Sports + Outdoors (6100 Warden Rd. Sherwood, Ark.) at 3 p.m. CT and streamed live on www.CollegeBass.com. Two-person teams from each participating school will fish for large-mouth bass 15 inches or longer and spotted bass 12 inches or longer, with a five-fish daily limit. All teams will fish the first two days with the top five teams advancing to day three. Weights will then be zeroed, and the team with the largest one-day total on Saturday will claim the College Bass National Championship title.
“We are excited to return to North Little Rock for the sixth National Championship,” said Rob Russow, College Bass tournament director. “The Arkansas River is a great, but challenging bass fishery which will really intensify the competition.”
Since its inception in 2005, the College Bass National Championship has been the only fishing tournament to air on ESPNU. This season, College Bass will receive extended television coverage totaling nine hours of ESPNU programming. For the first time, all three College Bass Super Regionals will be featured in the ESPNU shows. The East, West and North Super Regionals’ show will air Thursday, July 29 at 4:30 p.m. CT followed by the College Bass National Championship, which will be featured in two shows Friday, July 30 and Saturday, July 31, both at 4:30 p.m. CT. ESPNU reaches more than 70 million households across the United States.
"We’re thrilled to welcome back the College Bass National Championship to North Little Rock,” said Karen Trevino, Executive Director of the North Little Rock Visitors Bureau. “We are big supporters of the sport of bass fishing and this is a great way for us to showcase the world-class fishing here in Arkansas.”
Last year 59 schools contended for the national championship trophy with North Carolina State anglers Will White and Chris Wood tipping the scales to claim the 2009 College Bass National Championship title with a 14.43-pound bag on the final day on the Arkansas River in North Little Rock. White and Wood secured the championship title weighing in 8.2 pounds more than second-place team, Brandon Dickson and Austin Hollowell of the University of North Texas.
Official practice for the College Bass National Championship anglers begins Saturday, July 3 in pools 5-7 of the Arkansas River.
The Chamber of Commerce of North Little Rock and the North Little Rock Visitors Bureau welcome the College Bass anglers to Arkansas with a Hooters’ cookout at the downtown Riverside RV Park Pavilion Tuesday, July 6 from 5:30-7 p.m. CT. Media is welcome to attend.
“The Chamber of Commerce of North Little Rock is excited to again have our city hosting the tournament,” said Bob Major, Special Events Director, North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce. “We encourage bass fishing enthusiasts throughout Central Arkansas to attend the weigh-ins and support this great event.”
Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe will officially kick off the College Bass tournament with a special welcome to the competitors during Champions Night taking place at CSE (the agency that owns College Bass, formerly JM Associates) located at 1200 Scott Street Wednesday, July 7 at 5: 30 p.m. CT. All competitors must attend Champions Night, which also serves as the registration and briefing meeting for the College Bass National Championship. College Bass anglers will also have the chance to participate in a Q&A session with some of Arkansas’ best professional anglers during Champions Night. Champions Night will also be streamed live on www.CollegeBass.com. Media is welcome to attend.
