By: Easton Fothergill

For the first time in the 2023-2024 season, Montevallo has taken over the top spot in the Bass Pro Shops School of the Year race. Standings are extremely close, but a record fourth straight title is certainly attainable for this talented team. Currently at 13,270 points, Montevallo edges second place Carson-Newman University by only 500 points. To read more about the current points standings, you can read the article here.

            For this season, the Collegiate Bass Fishing Series has come out with a new set of rules on how the points breakdown will work. Last season, Montevallo fished north of 30 tournaments over the season. This year, only 17 tournaments will count towards the School of the Year race. When asked about the points change, Montevallo fishing team member Beau Browning stated “All this change is going to do is make things tighter at the end of the year. It won’t allow any team to get big points lead like Montevallo has been able to do the past few years. We will just have to be one hundred percent focused at every tournament this year and I think we will be just fine.” Every year about this time is when Montevallo has taken the points lead. In the past, they have been able to hold onto the lead all the way to the end. Time will tell if Montevallo is able to do so again this year.

“We will just have to be one hundred percent focused at every tournament this year and I think we will be just fine.”

-Beau Browning

            The latest event held was a MLF event on Lake Hartwell. Phillip Herring & James Willoughby finished in 20th, while Briar Dodson and Cole Dodson finished in 25th. “These finishes weren’t terrible, but its not where we want to be. Ideally, we need two boats in the top 10 at every major event if we want to win School of the Year again this year” says Nick Dumke, a Montevallo senior. 

            Ending in early June, there is still lots of fishing to be done before the 2023-2024 School of the Year can be crowned. Most major points events are held in the spring season. The spring is when the College Bassmaster trail is held, and also a few MLF and Collegiate Bass events. With the top 5 teams being separated by less than 2,000 points, there will surely be some shakeups before the season is concluded. 

            Each of the top 6 teams have fished the same number of major double points events up to this point. As it pertains to the points update, that means, minus each teams School-Run event tally, they are all on equal footing in regard to maximum potential points that could have been earned. The top 6 is comprised of three past title winners, and three programs looking to claim their first ever title as Bass Pro Shops School of the Year.

            With all this being said, Montevallo currently holds the top spot. Be sure to stay tuned to collegiatebasschampionship.com to keep up with the current School of the Year points standings as the second half of the season will be under way come the beginning of January.