SFC’s Zane Grey Championship Playoffs will crown a champion live from Cabo San Lucas Sunday, Oct. 18, with the winner decided at 2:30 PM PT .
CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico, Oct. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The 2026 Sport Fishing Championship (SFC) Season concludes this weekend after six months of competitive fishing. Through 12 regular season tournaments, the final four professional angling clubs descend on Cabo San Lucas, Mexico to earn their right to be called the SFC Champion.
The spotlight has never shined brighter. Each regular season tournament aired live on ESPN+, but this Sunday, the final day of the Zane Grey Championship Playoffs, presented by Citizen will be aired live on ESPN2, available in more than 70 million U.S. households. Tune in from 4:00-6:00 PM ET (1:00-3:00 PM PT) for the final 90 minutes of the 2026 season, where every bite, every fight and every fish released will decide which angling club stands above the rest. Corazón Cabo Resort & Spa serves as the host resort for the third consecutive year.
Taking place October 17-18, the Zane Grey Championship Playoffs begin each day at 7:00 AM PT when the boats run full-throttle past Cabo’s iconic stone arch on their way to chase blue marlin, black marlin, striped marlin and sailfish. On day one, fishing stops at 4:00 PM PT. On Championship Sunday, fishing ends at 2:30 PM PT with the winners interviewed live before going off the air on ESPN2 at 3:00 PM PT.
The Zane Grey Championship Playoffs features four boats: The Atlantic Division Champion New Jersey Sea Birds and runner-up South Florida Sails, along with the Gulf Division Champion Third Coast Renegades and runner-up Gulf Coast Cowboys. Each earned their way to Cabo behind spectacular regular season campaigns.
Representing the Houston metro area and Texas coast from the Louisiana State Line to San Jose Island, the Third Coast Renegades are the heavy favorites. Finishing their regular season campaign with three wins, never finishing lower than third in any of the six Gulf Division events. Their crew is also known to host fishing charters to Baja California’s famed Magdalena Bay during the winter months, repositioning their boat to San Jose del Cabo in September courtesy of SFC partner Cross Chartering Yacht Transport.
The Atlantic Champion New Jersey Sea Birds won three of the six Atlantic regular season events and have claimed more than $2 million in prize money across all sportfishing tournaments this summer. That includes nearly $1.5 million for weighing the heaviest blue marlin at The MidAtlantic Tournament in Ocean City Maryland, only days before claiming the Atlantic Division championship and punching their tickets to Cabo.
South Florida Sails and Gulf Coast Cowboys each won two divisional tournaments this season to earn their berths to the Zane Grey Championship Playoffs. In the Atlantic, the Sails won the Walker’s Cay Open and Cape Cod Invitational. The Gulf Coast Cowboys claimed victory at the Gulfport Mississippi Invitational and mounted a historic comeback, releasing three blue marlin and a sailfish in the closing hours to win the Hurricane Hole Louisiana Open.
For each of the four crews’ heroics offshore this season, it all comes down this weekend in Cabo San Lucas. Join us as we crown a champion live on ESPN2.
About Sport Fishing Championship:
Sport Fishing Championship (SFC) is the world’s leading professional offshore fishing league, transforming competitive saltwater angling into a modern, team-based sports property. Founded in 2021, SFC operates a professional league featuring 13 angling clubs representing regions across North America, competing throughout a season of premier offshore tournaments culminating at the Zane Grey Championship Playoffs. Through innovative media production, live event experiences, digital streaming, and strategic partnerships, SFC elevates the sport for athletes, fans, sponsors, and host destinations alike. The league’s mission is to expand participation, grow the sport’s global audience, and create a sustainable ecosystem that combines world-class competition, entertainment, conservation, and community impact.
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SOURCE Sport Fishing Championship
