Twenty-Four MLF Anglers Compete on Douglas and Fort Loudoun Lakes over Six Days for Prestigious Heritage Cup

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (Feb. 11, 2022) – The Major League Fishing (MLF) 2022 Academy Sports + Outdoors Heritage Cup Presented by Magellan Outdoors, filmed over six days in October in the Knoxville area, is set to premiere tomorrow, Feb. 12, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET on the Outdoor Channel and on-demand on the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) streaming app. The event showcases 24 of the top pro anglers in the world competing in the second MLF Cup event of the 2022 season.

“It was a great week showcasing our region for this MLF Heritage Cup,” said Chad Culver, Senior Director of the Visit Knoxville Sports Commission. “We are very blessed to have numerous fisheries able to do an event of this magnitude along with our partners in Jefferson County. I can’t wait to watch the episodes starting this week to see who pulled off the victory.”

The first episode, set to premiere Saturday, features the eight anglers in Group 1 competing in their opening Elimination Round. Episode two features the eight anglers in Group 2; Episode three will feature the eight anglers in Group 3. The top six finishers from each group’s Elimination Round advance to the two-day Sudden Death Round – episodes four and five – where nine anglers compete each day and try to finish in the top four. The sixth and final episode will feature the final eight anglers competing in the Championship Round to catch the most weight that they can to be crowned the 2022 Heritage Cup Champion.

The 24 Anglers that compete in the 2022 Academy Sports + Outdoors Heritage Cup Presented by Magellan Outdoors in Knoxville are:

• Adrian Avena, Vineland, N.J.
• Josh Bertrand, Queen Creek, Ariz.
• Stephen Browning, Hot Springs, Ark.
• Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kan.
• Dustin Connell, Clanton, Ala.
• Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark.
• Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tenn.
• Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif.
• James Elam, Tulsa, Okla.
• Paul Elias, Petal, Miss.
• Todd Faircloth, Jasper, Texas
• Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C.
• Alton Jones Jr., Waco, Texas
• Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C.
• Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn.
• John Murray, Spring City, Tenn.
• Britt Myers, Lake Wylie, S.C.
• Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn.
• Mark Rose, Wynne, Ark.
• Jeff Sprague, Point, Texas
• Gerald Spohrer, Gonzales, La.
• Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich.
• Greg Vinson, Wetumpka, Ala.
• Jesse Wiggins, Addison, Ala.

The 2022 Academy Sports + Outdoors Heritage Cup Presented by Magellan Outdoors was hosted by the Visit Knoxville Sports Commission and Jefferson County, Tennessee. The event will air on the Outdoor Channel as six, two-hour original episodes each Saturday afternoon starting Feb. 12, 2022, and running through March 19, airing from 2 to 4 p.m. ET. Each episode is available for viewing on the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) streaming app on the Monday morning following each episode’s Saturday premiere.

The 2022 Academy Sports + Outdoors Heritage Cup Presented by Magellan Outdoors features 24 MLF pro anglers visiting the Knoxville area to compete on Douglas Lake and different zones of Fort Loudoun Lake on each day of competition. The fisheries are unknown to the anglers – they do not learn where they are competing until they arrive to the launch ramp each morning of competition.

The full television schedule can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the MLF Cup events, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter,  Instagram, and  YouTube.