Annual Travis Ely Memorial Scholarship to be Awarded Again in 2026

Friday, October 10, 2025

Annual Travis Ely Memorial Scholarship to be Awarded Again in 2026

SAN ANTONIO, TX- Last year, the Association of Collegiate Anglers, in working with the Ely family and Bass Pro Shops/White River Marine Group, announced the Travis Ely Memorial Scholarship.

Travis’ legacy has left a lasting impact on the fishing community. The Travis Ely Memorial Scholarship has been created to carry on Travis’ memory and will honor an active college angler for his/her impact both on the water and in the community.

Travis valued faith, family, and fishing, among many other great things in his life. These are criteria that will be taken into consideration when reviewing applicants for this scholarship. The deserving recipient will receive a $1,500 scholarship.

The 2025 recipient of this scholarship was Drake Sturgill from the University of Montevallo. As a young student angler, Drake’s life experiences have led him through deep personal and spiritual growth. Drake uses this to fuel his inspiration each day to achieve his fullest capabilities at school, work, and on the water.

“I come from a family of six from a small town in western North Carolina, and the outdoors have been monumental in the building and refining of my character,” said Sturgill. “For me, the outdoors is a refuge of God’s purest creation and where many of my favorite memories have been made.”

The Travis Ely Memorial Scholarship is an honor that will be awarded each year at the Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops. To find out more information about eligibility criteria and apply, click here.

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

For more information on the ACA or the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series, visit www.CollegiateBassChampionship.com.

For more information on CarecoTV, visit www.CarecoTV.com

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