COLUMBIA, S.C. – On October 7, the University of Florida’s collegiate bass fishing team will be traveling to Fort Loudoun Lake in Knoxville, TN to compete against the University of Tennessee. This one-of-a-kind event, scheduled during the week of the highly anticipated Tennessee vs. Florida college football matchup, will highlight the competitive nature of the universities’ fishing clubs in a live head-to-head matchup to be streamed by Major League Fishing. This College Rivalry Tournament was created to drive home the Abu Garcia brand sentiment of ‘Fish to Win’ while promoting the future of fishing.

Florida and Tennessee are one of college football’s most heated and exciting rivalries. What better way is there to kick off a great college football rivalry week than pitting the fishing teams against each other in a head-to-head bass fishing battle that is being live streamed for the world of sports to watch and enjoy, in this event, Abu Garcia, in partnership with the University of Tennessee Athletics, aims to elevate the experience for college anglers by celebrating them as athletes.

Abu Garcia’s College Rivalry Tournament Details:
• Teams: Both universities will field two boats with two collegiate anglers per boat (4 boats, 8 anglers total)
• Format: Every Fish Counts - winner will be the team with the heaviest overall weight. Tournament day will consist of four quarters of competition with three 15-minute breaks in between.
• Event Schedule:
First Quarter: 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Second Quarter: 9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m
Third Quarter: 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Fourth (Final) Quarter: 12:15 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.
• Prize: The victorious team will take home a $5,000 cash prize courtesy of Abu Garcia and claim bragging rights in this first-ever fishing showdown between the schools.
• Livestream: Live at 8:20 a.m. on Major League Fishing’s website on Monday, October 7 until 1:30 p.m. once competition has concluded

In addition to the competition on the water, Abu Garcia is partnering with the University of Tennessee Athletics, the City of Knoxville, local radio stations, and television outlets to promote this inaugural event. To enhance the pre-game excitement and draw in anglers and football fans alike, Abu Garcia has planned several high-profile activities to take place on Saturday, October 12 at Vol Village:

• Fan Experience: Abu Garcia will host a special Fan Zone in Vol Village featuring meet-and-greets with the collegiate bass anglers, pro tournament anglers, a showcase of the tournament trophy, and an exciting Abu Garcia product display, complete with swag giveaways for competing in casting contests, prize wheels and more.
• Celebrity Appearance: Fans can expect the potential appearance from Tennessee alum and current NFL quarterback Josh Dobbs, adding an extra layer of excitement to the weekend’s festivities.

By combining the excitement of college football with the thrill of competitive fishing, Abu Garcia seeks to promote the future of fishing to a broader audience. The unique collaboration between Abu Garcia, Major League Fishing, University of Tennessee and the University of Florida ensures that the anglers will be recognized as athletes, gaining the attention they deserve.

“We have been looking forward to this event for a very long time,” said Abu Garcia’s VP of Marketing Communications, Marc Kempter. “The Abu Garcia brand cares deeply about the future generation of fishing and has for a long time supported the high school and college fishing ranks. This event is another spectacle we are adding to the list of efforts to give back to student anglers. This should be a very exciting event for the teams competing, fans watching, and for each school to get behind as they lead up to a fun college football rivalry game in Knoxville.”

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