FL: Academy Sports to Open 2 Locations in Tampa Bay, Creating 120 Jobs for the Community

Academy Sports and Outdoors, a leading full-line sporting goods and outdoor recreation retailer whose mission is to provide "Fun for All", announced it will open its first two locations in Tampa Bay, Fla. The stores, located in Pinellas Park and Wesley Chapel, will mark Academy's 14th and 15th locations in Florida as the brand continues to grow within the Sunshine State.

The Pinellas Park location will open this winter and the Wesley Chapel store is slated to open in 2023. Academy expects these locations to bring approximately 120 new jobs to the Tampa Bay community.

"The Tampa Bay community can expect to find all the products they need for their sports and outdoors passions when they walk into our store including top brands like Nike, Adidas, Yeti, Columbia, PENN, Shimano and many more," said Sam Johnson, Academy's Executive Vice President of Retail Operations. "Tampa Bay is not only known for its enthusiastic sports fanbase but also boasts renowned fishing, beaches and outdoor activities. Whether you're soaking up the sun on the beach, hitting the bay, or heading to a Lightning game, our team is eager to serve the local community and make it easier to have fun and gear up by providing great value and unmatched service."

The locations will carry a wide assortment of sports and outdoors products for customers to choose from to kickstart their fun. Academy is focused on providing the best service, experience, and value to help customers pursue the activities that they love and make new memories. Tampa Bay customers can expect to find Academy team members who are passionate about sports and outdoor activities, along with a unique assortment from top brands like Nike, Adidas, Columbia, The North Face, Chubbies, Costa, Under Armour, Ugly Stik, Berkley, Garmin, Humminbird, plus Academy's private label brands like Magellan Outdoors, Freely, H2O Xpress, R.O.W., BCG, and Mosaic.

Academy aims to empower, encourage, and connect our communities and schools through local efforts that involve sports, field and stream activities, and military and first responder organizations. By connecting with these programs, Academy motivates people to try new things, promotes safety in sports and outdoors and ultimately builds connections that make a positive impact in the area. Academy looks forward to building relationships throughout Tampa Bay to support and create new opportunities for residents to have fun out there. 

Academy's new stores will also provide a dynamic and fun shopping experience while offering convenient options, such as buy online pick-up in store service, and free shipping on most online orders over $25. Customers in these locations can also take advantage of a suite of in-store services that will include free assembly on grills and bikes, scope mounting, bore sighting, line winding/spooling, propane exchange and the ability to purchase hunting and fishing licenses.