The '13 Bassmaster Classic “caught a whopper of a crowd this past week as numbers exceeded expectations” in Tulsa, with the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society reporting that attendance “swelled to a near-record 106,850,” according to Winslow & Stancavage of the TULSA WORLD. Organizers on Saturday and Sunday “had to close the doors of the BOK Center after maximum capacity was reached as pros brought in fish they caught at Grand Lake to be weighed in front of fans." Tournament officials “were not hesitant to call the classic a splashing success.” Tulsa Community Foundation COO Jeff Stava, who chairs the local committee that helped attract and organize the event, said that the fan turnout “might have been even better if not for snow in Kansas and other areas in the region that made travel difficult.” He said that his group is “hoping to get the tournament back to town in a few years.” Stava said, "We haven't started those conversations yet, but we will in a couple of weeks." BASS reported that attendance was “42,593 during the three daily weigh-ins at the BOK Center.” In addition, more than “54,000 people attended the Classic Outdoor Expo presented by Dick's Sporting Goods during the 2 1/2 days it was open at the Tulsa Convention Center.” BOK Center and Tulsa Convention Center Regional Marketing Dir Sarah Haertl said, "The support from the community was phenomenal. Everything we heard from Bassmaster and the public -- it was a great event, and that people would love to host the event again in the future" (TULSA WORLD, 2/27).
