Supply chain management graduate won $1 million team tournament in 2021
Contributed
by Auburn University
By Neil Reid
Auburn University graduate Logan Parks is using part of his record-setting bass fishing winnings from last year to attract anglers to his alma mater via a newly created scholarship.
Parks, a member of the Auburn bass fishing team who graduated in December with a degree in supply chain management, has created the Logan Parks Bass Fishing Endowed Scholarship for accomplished anglers who are interested in attending Auburn. In November, Parks teamed with Tucker Smith to win the $1 million first-place prize at the Bass Pro Shops US Open National Bass Fishing Amateur Team Championships, the biggest payout in bass fishing history.
The dynamic duo split the seven-figure prize and each went home with 2022 Toyota Tundra CrewMax trucks and Nitro Z21 bass boats for their exploits. Now, Parks is looking to pay it forward to future Tigers.
“I wanted to create a scholarship that offered someone an opportunity to come and fish at what I consider the best school in the country,” Parks, who has embarked on a professional fishing career this year, said. “I’ve really enjoyed my time at Auburn, and I wanted to create an opportunity for someone else like me to come here in the future. I’m hoping this will lead to bigger and better things.
“Hopefully Auburn will help this scholarship grow as much as possible, and eventually maybe one day other SEC schools will see the value in it and will make the same type of scholarships available at their schools. The more people hear about it and the more we get the word out about it, the better.”
Parks’ $26,000 donation will help fund the bass fishing team’s future endeavors, including student recruitment, team equipment and tournament entry fees. The scholarship will help establish a strong recruiting foundation for the team, which won national collegiate team of the year honors last year and will have a fundraising effort that is part of the university’s annual Tiger Giving Day on Feb. 23.
“Some of our top competition offers scholarships for bass fishing for high school anglers, and we’re really getting beat in the recruiting game,” Parks said. “It’s hard for us to convince people to come to Auburn to fish when they have scholarship offers at other places. There are some Division I scholarships, but very few of them, and there are no scholarships at SEC schools.
“We just got ranked No. 1 in the country, and a lot of people are looking at us, so the more we can offer them in scholarships is great.”
Parks, who with Smith was named the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Team of the Year, relished the chance to provide a boost to Auburn’s bass fishing team through the scholarship since his experience with the team was so instrumental in his life.
“The Auburn fishing team completely changed the trajectory of my life,” Parks said. “I came to Auburn with the hopes of one day pursuing a professional career but didn’t really know what that looked like. Through my time at Auburn, I’ve made some really fantastic business relationships with people who are sponsors of mine now, have gotten the opportunity to make a name for myself in the fishing world and met some of my best friends through the process.
“All of the guys on the team are like my brothers, and we’re a very tight-knit group. I’m really thankful to have been a part of it.”
Anyone interested in donating to the Logan Parks Bass Fishing Endowed Scholarship may do so via this link:www.alumniq.auburn.edu/giving/to/loganparks
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