Long-time B.A.S.S. sponsor Academy Sports + Outdoors has announced its title sponsorship of the 2020 Bassmaster Classic on Lake Guntersville and in Birmingham on March 6-8.
Through this heightened support of the 50th anniversary of competitive fishing’s iconic event, the brand looks to usher in a new level of excitement for bass fishing fans, Academy customers and anglers around the country.
“2020 is sure to be a banner year for the Classic,” said Bruce Akin, B.A.S.S. CEO. “Partnering with Academy Sports + Outdoors is the perfect collaboration for this golden anniversary year. The retailer has long been committed to providing anglers with quality products at an exceptional value while introducing the sport of fishing to a larger audience through their partnerships, conservation efforts and promotion of the sport.”
Next year’s Bassmaster Classic will be the culmination of 50 years of top-tier tournament bass fishing. B.A.S.S., alongside local hosts from the Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau and Marshall County Convention & Visitors Bureau, has already begun planning some exciting new elements for the upcoming event. Academy Sports + Outdoors will be working closely with the organization, other partners, anglers and the entire fishing community to bring new energy, ideas and a title sponsor to an event that the entire fishing world will be watching.
“For years, we’ve made it a priority to increase participation in fishing by offering a wide range of products that encourage everyone from first-timers to experienced anglers to get out and have fun on the water,” said Larry Roberts, Academy Sports + Outdoors senior vice president and general merchandising manager of outdoor. “Playing a larger role at the biggest bass fishing event in the world helps us reach our customers in the Birmingham area and anglers across the country. We’re looking forward to celebrating the exciting anniversary year with B.A.S.S. and all of their partners.”
The 50th anniversary of the world bass fishing championship will be held in the state where the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society was founded in 1968. This homecoming and celebration of the future of fishing will pay out over $1 million to 53 of the world’s best bass anglers and will attract hundreds of thousands of fans to Birmingham and Lake Guntersville. The 2019 Classic on the Tennessee River in Knoxville, Tenn., registered a record attendance of 153,000. With an exciting line-up of activities being added to the schedule of events, the 2020 Classic is expected to draw an even larger crowd.
Daily launches will take place at Civitan Park in Guntersville, with daily weigh-ins and the annual Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo held in Birmingham at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex.
