Sport Fishing Championship (SFC) announced today a star-studded lineup of high-profile team owners in the saltwater fishing league’s 16-team new competitive format that will debut in Spring 2025.
World No. 1 Golfer and Olympic Gold Medalist Scottie Scheffler, coming off one of golf’s most successful seasons in history, headlines a group of team owners betting on the growth of competitive fishing. The Texas native purchased sole ownership of the Texas Lone Stars Angling Club, with an exclusive rights territory that includes Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and the coastal markets of South Padre Island and Corpus Christi.
NFL Legend Randy Moss, New Orleans Saints 5X Pro Bowl RB Alvin Kamara, Charlotte Hornets star PF Grant Williams and Grammy Award winning country star Brian Kelley are amongst a wave of team owners competing in SFC’s new championship format.
“Today is a milestone date for competitive fishing,” said Mark Neifeld, CEO & Commissioner of SFC. “SFC has always been determined to serve as leaders for competitive angling, and through the league’s new championship format and continuous innovation of our product, we are now better equipped to serve our fans across the globe.”
The league announced the formation of 16 teams representing 16 regions across North America, which will compete week-to-week in a “closed” format designed to showcase offshore fishing’s top competitors and create regional fan bases across the continent. The 16 team names announced include:
· Texas Lone Stars Angling Club (Central Texas & South Texas Coast)
· Third Coast Renegades Angling Club (Houston/ Galveston Region)
· Louisiana Canyons Angling Club
· Mississippi Blues Angling Club
· Alabama RAZRS Angling Club
· Gulf Coast Cowboys Angling Club (Florida Panhandle Region)
· West Florida Black Flags Angling Club (Tampa/ Clearwater Region)
· South Florida Sails Angling Club (Fort Lauderdale/ Miami Region)
· North Florida Kings Angling Club (Jacksonville/ Savannah Region)
· Carolina Sabals Angling Club (South Carolina)
· North Carolina Flare Angling Club
· Chesapeake Chessies Angling Club (Virginia/ Maryland/ Delaware Region)
· New Jersey Sea Birds Angling Club
· New York Granders Angling Club
· Lights Out Boston Angling Club (New England Region)
· International Angling Club Commodores
“I love this sport, I love what SFC continues to represent, and I believe the future is very bright for this league,” said Brian Kelley. Kelley, known to many as the “Beach Cowboy,” infused his country music superstardom and love for his home city of Grayton Beach (FL) into the name of his pro team – Gulf Coast Cowboys AC.
Lifeline Sportfishing (Panama City Beach), who currently sits atop the SFC’s 2024 Standings, jumped at the chance to team up with the Kelley in a joint venture. “Unity is powerful and alignment with the right team members is key,” said Dino McDowell, team owner. “Brian’s passion for the sport matches our own, and working with BK gives our team an advantage off the water with introducing the Gulf Coast Cowboys to new fans and corporate partners.”
Alvin Kamara, who also serves as NASCAR’s Growth and Engagement Advisor, developed an interest in competitive fishing after participating in SFC’s Celebrity Tournament, “The Catch powered by Verizon.” His involvement in NASCAR has allowed him to experience the business of numerous high-level sports environments and his passion for outdoor activities naturally expanded into fishing.
“When I got the chance to compete in The Catch tournament, the thrill of the sport and the sense of community it brings was incredible,” said Kamara. “When the opportunity came to dive deeper into it, I knew I couldn’t pass it up.”
Since the league’s first season in 2022, SFC has operated an “open” format, allowing competitors of all skill levels the opportunity to compete in its SFC Billfish Championship. In this new competitive format, SFC will now showcase the same teams week-to-week as they travel on an international tour competing in the top fishing locations and tournaments from April through August annually.
“The top sports leagues in the world have superstars and strong, regional fan bases,” said Neifeld. “Our sport (offshore fishing) is geographically positioned to showcase its historic fishing towns and competitions, and we believe this new championship format allows SFC the opportunity to better serve our fanatical fishing communities.”
Team sales began in June, and SFC has already sold ownership rights to more than half of the teams made available in the initial expansion offering. The league is in advanced negotiations with a number of prospective team owners, with exclusive territory rights in markets like Boston, New York and South Florida in high demand.
SFC’s unique team charter ownership model is a blend of the hand-selected best practices inspired by leagues like LIV Golf, Formula 1 and NASCAR. In this initial offering, the league introduced new team rights through leveraging A.I. and more sophisticated digital technologies.
In July 2023, SFC announced the formation of Sport Fishing Championship Angler’s Association, a non-profit organization designed to increase the league and its corporate partners’ ability to invest in conservation, competition and community events year-round at the local level. Each of the new 16 teams will carry the “Angling Club” moniker, to strengthen community support for the sport while also supporting existing fishing clubs within its geographical region.
SFC’s league office is in early discussions for its upcoming 2025 media rights offering, after its first three seasons were distributed internationally on CBS and CBS Sports Network.
On October 18, SFC will launch SFC+, the league’s first direct-to-consumer OTT streaming platform that will carry SFC’s competitions, original programing, syndicated entertainment shows and podcasts, and will showcase the top fishing content creators in the “SFC+ Community.”
SFC’s 2024 Billfish Championship Season concludes at the Zane Grey Championship Playoffs in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, October 19-21.