Cherokee Lake to host 2025 Bassmaster College National Championship
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. (WATE) — Cherokee Lake will play host to a competitive fishing competition featuring the top college anglers in the country this summer, B.A.S.S. officials announced Tuesday.
The 2025 Strike King Bassmaster College National Championship will take place on Cherokee Lake July 10-12 in Jefferson City. As many as 160 teams representing universities from around the country will compete to be crowned the nation's best.
Bassmaster Classic returning to Knoxville in Spring 2026
Takeoffs and weigh-ins will be at Cherokee Dam Boat Ramp on Renfro Road in Jefferson City. The last B.A.S.S. College Series event on Cherokee Lake took place in 2023.
East Tennessee continues to be a frequent destination for competitive fishing. Knoxville hosted the 2023 Bassmaster Classic, drawing a record 163,914 spectators. Officials announced in February that the Bassmaster Classic will return to Knoxville in 2026.
Cherokee Lake, a Tennessee Valley Authority reservoir, features 28,000 acres of largemouth bass water and 400 miles of shoreline.
'Big League' Knoxville Smokies prepare for Opening Day at new stadium
'Jefferson County is beyond excited to host the Bassmaster College Series National Championship in 2025 on the beautiful Cherokee Lake,' said Lauren Hurdle, director of tourism for Visit Jefferson County TN. 'This event not only highlights the incredible fishing opportunities our area has to offer, but also brings together a community passionate about the sport and the great outdoors. We're proud to welcome anglers, families and visitors from all over, and we look forward to showcasing the natural beauty and hospitality that make our region truly special.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Yahoo
Pickleball facilities pop up across East Tennessee as participation booms
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Dozens of new pickleball facilities are opening here in East Tennessee as the sport is taking the country by storm. Second Harvest Food Bank is hosting a tournament at the Pavilion of Pickleball in West Knoxville at the Cedar Bluff Racquet Club raising money for the food bank. It's one of the fastest growing sports in the country. That's no different here in East Tennessee as more and more people start picking up the sport. Elize Kikkert and Elizabeth Bentley-Shelton both work at the Pavilion of Pickleball that opened nearly five years ago. 'People really flock to this because it was an activity that they could do. For a while we had a lot of members because we were the only indoor facility in Knoxville,' said Pavilion of Pickleball General Manager Elize Kikkert. 'Now, because we have more [places to play], it's spread out a little bit more because people from Maryville don't have to drive a long way here so they go to other places that are closer to them.' Powell Courts reopen with new pickleball area, basketball upgrades The sport has grown exponentially over the last several years, leading to tournaments that draw hundreds of players, like the one Second Harvest is hosting. The sport once tabbed as one for the older generation has turned younger in recent years leading to increased competition. 'It mixes around, you know, old people play with the young people,' Kikkert said. 'I think it's changed the game of Pickleball a little bit though because the younger people tend to hit it a lot harder, so I think it changed the dynamics of the game a little bit. Overall, it's very fun to see.' Pickleball also proves that age is just a number when it comes to staying active and having fun. 'During my play, we've got a homeschool group and the Summer Cathleagues doing their summer sports camp here,' Assistant General Manager Elizabeth Bentley-Shelton said. 'When I first started working for the Knoxville City Parks and Rec, one lady that came and played was 93-years-old and I played with her. Another man was 92 and he was amazing, both of them. Like Elize said, it's from little to big.' 'It always just feels like home': Hendon Hooker draws inspiration from youth football camp in Knoxville When POP first opened during Covid, it was a way for people to get out and socialize while getting exercise as well. On the court, strangers become friends and the more people you play with the bigger the community will grow. 'These are people at first you never knew and now big buddies with them. My contact list on my phone that says pickleball, pickleball, pickleball is unreal,' Bentley-Shelton said. 'It's crazy and everybody likes everybody, we're all friendly that's the good thing.' The Pavilion of Pickleball may have been the first indoor facility to open in Knoxville, but several others have followed suit. In Karns, the Pickleball Playground recently opened along with Big Orange Pickleball in Strawberry Plains, Premiere Pickleball Club Knoxville and Pickleville off Topside Rd. in Louisville. ▶ See more top stories on There are also plenty of outdoor courts at many area parks including West Hills, Lakeshore Park and Sam Duff Park. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘Let Her Rip' clinics empowering women through watersports
VONORE, Tenn. (WATE) — About five years ago, MasterCraft and eight-time world champion wakeboarder Meagan Ethell had a vision of empowering women through water sports. 'Let Her Rip' was the result. The clinic made a stop in East Tennessee this week, one of seven stops around the country this summer. The day brought both learning and laughs on Tellico Lake. Football & fireworks: The staples of Anderson County fall Friday nights 'I love that this Let Her Rip teaches us not only how to surf better, but the camaraderie, And to drive to boat. Because women don't always get to drive the boat, so one of my favorites parts today was learning how to drive the boat and learn the skills to really just makes us more water aware,' said participant Marcia Kish. For several years now, East Tennessee has been a stop for on the Let Her Rip tour, providing a day to grow the love and knowledge of watersports among women. 'Having a boat full of women, it just really adds confidence to the group of girls that are on the boat and it makes a huge difference when women are supporting each other and that really just helped create that confidence in and behind the boat,' Ethell said. Jake Dawson takes charge of Clinton football as one of state's youngest coaches When MasterCraft and Ethell collaborate on the idea, wakesurfing, wakeboarding, boat knowledge, water awareness were the focus, but empowering women was always the forefront. 'Growing up, I had a lot of awesome women influences on the water and I just wanna help try and create that for other females,' Ethell said. 'Because it's that one person that can help to create that confidence that can make the difference on if you like water sports or not.' In a male-dominated sport, 'Let Her Rip' inspires confidence through women supporting women. ▶ See more top stories on 'Everyone just being together and being so supportive that made it so fun and we had skillsets of the best of the best and people who were just starting,' said participant Ellie Watson. 'To be able to bring that together and have camaraderie through that was so much fun.' As 'Let Her Rip has grown over the last few years, so has the amount of women in the sport. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


New York Post
a day ago
- New York Post
‘Throwback' Ryan Yarbrough has become a Yankees rotation savior with tweaked pitch
Access the Yankees beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Greg Joyce about the inside buzz on the Yankees. Try it free As an AL East veteran, Ryan Yarbrough has pitched against the Yankees enough for them to know how much trouble he can give lineups. But what the left-hander, often described by Aaron Boone as a 'throwback,' has now done for them in five starts since moving into the rotation may even be better than they could have hoped for. Advertisement Armed with an improved changeup — thanks in part to a former Yankees minor league pitching coach — multiple arm slots and a wide-ranging arsenal that ranges from 67.7-90.9 mph, Yarbrough has been a savior at the back end of the Yankees rotation and will try to keep it going on Saturday against the Red Sox. 4 Ryan Yarbrough throws a pitch during the Yankees' game against the Rangers on May 21. Robert Sabo for the NY Post 'It's a lot of fun [catching him],' Austin Wells said Friday. 'I feel like you get to appreciate the art of being able to call a game. The way he's able to throw pitches in the entire zone and fill it up and still get the swing and miss and chase that guys that throw 100 do, I think it's arguably at times more fun to do something like that with a guy like that.' Yarbrough entered Saturday with a 2.08 ERA in five starts with 24 strikeouts in 26 innings since he entered the rotation. Advertisement To get there, the process began in spring training with the Blue Jays. 4 Ryan Yarbrough reacts during the Yankees' game against the Rangers on May 21. Corey Sipkin for the NY Post Their bullpen coach, Graham Johnson, previously served as the pitching coach at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, so he speaks the same language and has a similar approach as the Yankees' pitching group. Advertisement Johnson began working with Yarbrough on tweaking his changeup, and he got promising results with it before Yarbrough triggered the opt out of his minor league deal and then signed a $2 million contract with the Yankees three days before Opening Day. At the time, Yarbrough offered bullpen depth but with the potential to swing into the rotation if needed, and it did not take long for that to be the case. 4 Ryan Yarbrough pumps his fist during the Yankees' game against the Angels on May 26. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect 'We obviously know Graham really well and know where he was coming from on the changes,' pitching coach Matt Blake said Friday. 'It at least showed that Yarbs is interested in making adjustments to his arsenal and opened up the conversation, 'What was the adjustment? What were you doing before? Here's some other thoughts around it.' ' Advertisement Yarbrough joined the Yankees in Miami for their exhibition against the Marlins and sat down with the pitching group to dive into what he had been working on. They let the first week or so of the season play out with his old changeup before they made a subtle adjustment — using the same grip, but lining the laces up slightly differently to induce more drop. The result? CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND YANKEES STATS Yarbrough has thrown 137 changeups (20.6 percent of his pitches) and opposing batters are hitting just .167 with a .367 slugging percentage against it. It has accounted for 11 strikeouts and a 46.6 percent whiff rate compared to 22.7 percent last season. The average exit velocity against it is 79.4 mph, the weak contact part of why he ranks in the 99th percentile in average exit velocity against (84.1). Advertisement Go beyond the box score with the Bombers Sign up for Inside the Yankees by Greg Joyce, exclusively on Sports+. Thank you Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Enjoy this Post Sports+ exclusive newsletter! Check out more newsletters 'I think it's just getting a little more depth to it, a little bit more bite,' Yarbrough said of the pitch that has averaged 4.1 more inches of vertical drop from last year. 'But I also think now we're setting it up and using other things to help it continue to get better.' The 'other things' include his four-seam fastball that averages 88.3 mph, a sinker that averages 87.2 mph, a cutter that averages 83.3 mph and a sweeper that averages 71.8 mph. 4 Ryan Yarbrough prepares to throw a pitch during the Yankees' game against the Angels on May 26. Imagn Images Advertisement Only the changeup and cutter come from the same arm angle (11 degrees), with the other three pitches ranging from nine degrees to 21, according to Baseball Savant — all much more side-armed than league average. 'He's got the different angle,' DJ LeMahieu said. 'He's not going to light up the radar gun, but all his pitches feel like they get on you. His fastballs look like they get on you and his offspeed looks extra slow. Just one of those guys that has good stuff and knows what he's doing out there.'