Tulsa Hard Rock To Sponsor Bassmaster Classic Held On Grand Lake

Professional fishing's premiere event is a little more than two months from coming to northeast Oklahoma.

The Bassmaster Classic will be held on Grand Lake in late February.

Tuesday, the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino announced it has become the tournament's presenting sponsor.

The sponsorship means anywhere you see the Bassmaster Classic logo, you'll also see the Hard Rock of Tulsa's logo.

With hundreds of thousands of people expected to attend the classic in person or watch on television, that's a lot of eyes focused on Green Country.

9/6/2012 Related Story: Professional Anglers Flock To Fort Gibson Lake For Bassmaster Tournament

"It is the most exciting thing to have the Bassmaster Classic right here in northeast Oklahoma," said professional angler Edwin Evers.

Evers was born and raised in Talala. In two months, he'll be performing on his sport's largest stage in the Bassmaster Classic at Grand Lake.

"It is our Super Bowl of fishing. It's the World Series to baseball, it's the Super Bowl to football. It's what we fish for all year long to qualify. It's very, very hard to qualify to make it to get here," Evers said.

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As the countdown to the tournament continues, Tulsa's Hard Rock Hotel and Casino made a major announcement on Tuesday.

The hotel and casino announced it's become the classic's presenting sponsor.

"Well, it's a great opportunity for us to showcase our facilities and employees," said Shawn Slaton, of Cherokee Nation Businesses.

Fifty-three anglers will compete in the Bassmaster Classic for their share of the $1.2 million purse.

The Tulsa Sports Commission said it will bring more than 100,000 people to northeast Oklahoma and they expect it to pump $26 million into the economy.

"This'll be the first time that Tulsa has hosted an event that has taken both the BOK Center and the Civic Center, both venues, wall-to-wall," said Jeff Stava, of the Tulsa Sports Commission.

Organizers say having the Hard Rock of Tulsa's name right next to Bassmaster Classic is priceless exposure.

"From the minute the fans walk off the planes at the airport, all the way through their hotel stay and everything, it will all be co-branded with the Hard Rock logo," Stava said.

The Bassmaster Classic will be held from February 22-24, and everything is free.

Check here for information on starting times and locations.