Sport Fishing Championship Announces 2024 Regular Season Schedule; Debut Of Zane Grey Championship Playoffs, New Tournaments And Markets
Sport Fishing Championship today revealed its 2024 competition schedule, a slate of returning and new tournaments that culminate with the offshore fishing league’s first “win-and-advance” playoff format.
(Dallas, TX) – Sport Fishing Championship (SFC) revealed its 2024 competition schedule, a slate of returning and new tournaments that culminate with the offshore fishing league’s first “win-and-advance” playoff format.
Season three for the SFC features two divisions of competition – Gulf and Atlantic. The top six teams in each division are invited to participate in the 12-team, three-day winner-take-all Zane Grey Championship Playoffs.
"Since SFC launched, the league has been working relentlessly to perfect a competition format that awards one champion for the sport of offshore fishing," said Mark Neifeld, CEO & Commissioner. "With the growth in stature of the SFC Billfish Championship and in collaboration with our league’s competitors and tournaments, we are proud to introduce the Zane Grey Championship Playoffs which will debut in 2024."
Like previous seasons, teams participating in the Zane Grey Championship will need to qualify in their respective division by competing in three qualifying events. The new competition format advances the top six teams from each division into the playoffs. On the final day of the season, four teams will go head-to-head to award a champion.
"I cannot remember a more exciting time to be involved in competitive billfishing," said Damon Sacco, Executive Director of the Atlantic Division. "The scale of SFC competition is so impressive, while the regionality of the divisions allows the league to preserve and celebrate local traditions passed down for generations in the sport."
SFC's championship trophy and playoffs are named after Zane Grey, the fishing icon who held numerous world records -- including catching the first marlin to weigh more than 1,000 pounds. In 1998, Grey was welcomed into the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame’s inaugural class.
Here’s a look at the 2024 SFC schedule:
|
Date |
Tournament |
Division |
Location |
|
April 20 |
SFC’s The Catch presented by Verizon |
Special Event |
Ft. Lauderdale, FL |
|
May 2 - 4 |
Hurricane Hole Lousiana Open |
Gulf |
Venice/Grand Isle, LA |
|
May 9 - 11 |
Salt Life Bluewater Tournament |
Atlantic |
St. Augustine, FL |
|
May 30 - June 1 |
Walker’s Cay Open |
Atlantic |
Walker’s Cay, Bahamas |
|
June 27 - 29 |
Bay Point Billfish Open |
Gulf |
Panama City Beach, FL |
|
July 10 - 12 |
Oak Bluffs Bluewater Classic |
Atlantic |
Martha’s Vineyard, MA |
|
July 18 - 20 |
Montauk Canyon Challenge |
Atlantic |
Montauk, NY |
|
July 24 - 26 |
Tri-State Canyon Shootout |
Atlantic Champ. |
Block Island, RI |
|
July 24 - 27 |
Hurricane Hole Invitational |
Gulf |
Grand Isle, LA |
|
Aug. 29 - Sept. 2 |
MBGFC Labor Day Invitational |
Gulf Champ. |
Mobile, AL |
|
Oct. 19 - 21 |
SFC Zane Grey Championship Playoffs |
Championship |
Cabo San Lucas, MX |
About Sport Fishing Championship
SFC is the world’s largest owner and media rights holder of saltwater fishing tournaments, found on network television, SFC Digital Network, YouTube and more. In 2024, SFC’s Billfish Championship (professional offshore fishing league) will feature tournaments from April through August across destinations in the Gulf of Mexico, up the Atlantic seaboard, and in the Bahamas. On April 20, 2024 SFC will debut the second annual edition of The Catch, an offshore fishing competition that pairs current NFL greats with SFC star anglers. The two-hour event is broadcast live on network television.
For Media Inquires, Please Contact:
Courtney Hueston
Director of Marketing
305-335-2613
courtney@sportfishingchampionship.com