New York’s scenic St. Lawrence River will host the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops August 12-14, 2021.
Photo by B.A.S.S.
May 28, 2021
St. Lawrence Lands Bassmaster College National Championship
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Just weeks after the world’s top professional anglers do battle for a Bassmaster Elite Series victory on the St. Lawrence River, the country’s best college teams will converge in Waddington, N.Y., for the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops, which will be held Aug. 12-14, 2021. Clarkson University and its Bass Fishing Team are the local hosts along with the St. Lawrence County Chamber and Village of Waddington.
The Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Championship will field as many as 130 teams of anglers representing colleges and universities across the nation. Qualifications are based on the teams’ finishes in four college tour stops as well as a Wild Card event being held throughout the country.
“We’re excited to work with these great partners to offer college anglers an incredible championship tournament experience,” said College Series Senior Manager Hank Weldon. “I am thrilled that we are able to get these young anglers up to New York to experience the extraordinary St. Lawrence River as well as the legendary hospitality of this community as they compete for a national title and chance to fish the Classic.”
Competitors will not only be fighting for a national championship but also a berth in the 2022 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk on South Carolina’s Lake Hartwell via the College Classic Bracket tournament.
The leading anglers in the Bassmaster College Series Team of the Year points standings will be determined after the four regular-season events. The Team of the Year will punch their ticket to the College Classic Bracket event, which will be held in September. The College Classic Bracket takes the Top 3 teams from the National Championship plus the Team of the Year, and individual anglers compete head-to-head in bracket-style competition for a berth in the Classic, where they will compete for a prize purse of over $1 million.
“Clarkson University and its Bass Fishing Team are thrilled to be hosting the Bassmaster collegiate national tournament on the St. Lawrence River and in St. Lawrence County,” said Kelly O. Chezum, Clarkson University Vice President for External Relations. “As New York reopens and with our St. Lawrence County Chamber partners welcoming collegiate anglers to the region, we will be paying tribute through the fan experience during the tournament to the volunteer first-responder community which has done so much for our region, state and country during the pandemic.”
B.A.S.S. has hosted 20 major events at this Upstate New York smallmouth paradise, which took the top spot in 2019 on Bassmaster Magazine’s Top 100 Best Bass Lakes list.
“Collegiate anglers and their families will have a great opportunity to experience New York’s Northern border on and off of the water during the peak of summer in St. Lawrence County,” said Brooke Rouse, St. Lawrence County Chamber Director of Tourism. “The River is internationally recognized and is surrounded by trails, museums, outdoor festivities and warm local charm.”
The Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops is being hosted by the Village of Waddington, St. Lawrence County Chamber and Clarkson University. This tournament is also supported by a Market New York grant from I LOVE NY/New York State’s Division of Tourism awarded as part of the Regional Economic Development Council initiative. The tournament and all associated festivities are being planned to ensure the safety of athletes, staff and guests.