Overview The Champions is a professional bass fishing championship that puts the top anglers from two pro bass leagues in one field under neutral rules: 30 qualifiers from the Elite Series fish as Team Stars and 30 from the Bass Pro Tour as Team Stripes. World Bass Enterprises built the first edition around three competition days on Old Hickory Lake in Nashville in late October 2026, with a $3.25 million purse on the line. Two everyday anglers, billed as the Average Joes, won places in the 2026 field through a sweepstakes. Boyd Duckett, president and CEO of Major League Fishing, endorsed the event on the organizers' site. On site The 2026 plan spread the week across Nashville. The fishing was set for Old Hickory Lake, with weigh-ins streamed live. Gaylord Opryland was booked for a three-day expo billed at 150,000 square feet of outdoor gear, and Sanders Ferry Park for a three-day fan festival with a petting zoo, kids' fishing, food trucks, a beer garden and four bands a day. Riley Green was booked for a Friday concert at The Pinnacle, and the week was set to close with a Pro-Am pairing the top 15 anglers with celebrities. The broadcast was sold as a pay-per-view stream with a camera on every boat across all three competition days.