Lay Lake snow!!

[Dan]

It would be fun to see a Classic up North. Why not December. KVD catches bass up north then, through the ice, but they're bass. Don't they make 250 snowmobiles? Wouldn't you watch 50 of the Elite pros take off on snowmobiles pulling shanties and white buckets with rods? I bet they could sell that show. When it comes down to it, they hold the Classic where they can get the most money. Until the TV audience gets larger, and they get more TV revenue, then they have to go where they get the most $.  
There's a reason why BASS was founded in the South, $. Ray Scott may love bass fishing, but he's an astute businessman as well. He use to sell insurance and rose to the top of that industry before he chucked it all and decided to build his BASS empire. He built BASS using the same business principles that led him to the top of the insurance business.  
They just chose Muskegon Lake over Hamlin Lake for the BASS State Championship, and I was told that decision would be based on where they could get money to pay for the pretournament dinner. Once again $.
If you ever get a chance read Ray Scott's book Bass Boss. It's very good and covers the whole rise of BASS quite well.  
Ray, however, had a broader vision than ESPN. He had a bent toward conservation, and angler safety, innovation, etc. He was the one that first required PFDs be worn in tournaments. No one has ever been killed or seriously injured in one of Ray's tournaments. However, if you ever meet Ray, he could sell you the shirt off your own back. He's a businessman who started BASS and he made a lot of $.

[Team houston]

There are plenty of places that would pony up the money to have a classic. They did not move it to Feb because of money.I would love to see a classic in places not considered the deep South. Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas,Kentucky,Tennessee,Wisconsin,Minnesota,California just to name a few. I still say the one in Pittsburgh had the most drama and excitement of all of them.

[Durand Dan]

When you look at the anglers in the classic you don't see more than about 4 that call home north of the Mason Dixon line. This could be the reasoning behind the location.