KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Anglers, get ready. The "Super Bowl of Pro Bass Fishing" is returning to Knoxville next year!
B.A.S.S. announced Wednesday the 2023 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic will be held in Knoxville from March 24-26. The competition will take place on the Tennessee River at Fort Loudoun and Tellico lakes.
Anglers will weigh in their fish at Thompson-Boling Arena, and the annual Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo will be held at the Knoxville Convention Center and the World's Fair Exhibition Hall.
B.A.S.S. said it decided to return to Knoxville because of how successful and well-received the event was when it was first held here in 2019. The event drew in more than 150,000 spectators and generated roughly $32.2 million in economic impact for Knoxville and East Tennessee.
“Our first Bassmaster Classic in Knoxville produced record-breaking fan attendance and was one of the best Classics we’ve ever had,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Chase Anderson. “The Bassmaster Classic is the Super Bowl of Professional Bass Fishing. It’s not just a great competition; it is a true celebration of the competitors, the fans, and the sport as a whole."
Anderson said they "couldn't be more thrilled" to return to Knoxville.
For local professional anglers, having the Bassmaster Classic in their backyard was a dream come true. Knoxville native Ott DeFoe ended up winning the 2019 event, saying having intimate knowledge of the waterways was one of his keys to success.
Now, Knoxville joins a list of cities that can boast they've held multiple Classics on top of hosting the Bassmaster Elite Series.
“We’re honored to host B.A.S.S. for the fourth time in seven years,” said Kim Bumpas, President of Visit Knoxville. “We are proud of the continued successful partnership between B.A.S.S., our own Visit Knoxville Sports Commission, the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, and Knox County and the City of Knoxville.”
The Bassmaster Classic will include 55 anglers who qualify through the Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens, TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. National Championship, Strike King College Series, and the Bassmaster Team Championship. Those anglers will be competing for a $300,000 first-place prize, with a total purse of more than $1 million.
“Knoxville has every element necessary for an incredible Classic,” Anderson said. “It is a great sports town, in general, and bass fishing is incredibly popular in East Tennessee. There will be a lot of local interest in the event, and people who are visiting Knoxville for the first time are likely to keep coming back because the city and East Tennessee have so much to offer.”