Academy Sports + Outdoors Renews Support for HBCUs

• Outdoor goods retailer Academy Sports + Outdoors renewed its relationship with several college sports conferences.
• The partnerships will help Academy continue to support HBCUs.
• Academy will hold homecoming events at some schools that include student performances.

The outdoor goods retailer Academy Sports + Outdoors has renewed its partnership with several collegiate conferences as it continues to support Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). 

"Academy Sports + Outdoors is excited to celebrate the legacy of Historically Black Colleges and Universities and help showcase HBCU traditions that are steeped in culture, community and history," said Lawrence Lobpries, Academy's senior vice president of marketing, in a release. "We have enjoyed serving fans of these three conferences who have a passion for fun, and we look forward to continuing our engagement with these communities for years to come."

The retailer said it renewed partnerships with the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) and the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC). It’s the third year in a row as the official sporting goods retailer of the conferences, Academy said. 

The retailer said it would host homecoming events, including performances by HBCU drumlines, cheerleaders and dance teams. Those events will occur at schools in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Texas and Virginia, according to the release.

Academy, which was founded in 1938 and has 265 stores across 17 states in the U.S., will partner with select schools within the SWAC, CIAA and SIAC to celebrate with its customers ahead of big games at the schools. The retailer also will offer a 10% discount to all students, faculty and staff at HBCUs through Nov. 5, the release said.

Academy said it would partner with the brand strategy firm PMM Agency to help it support its efforts. 

"Celebrating all things that honor the heritage and uniqueness of HBCUs, we look forward to showcasing its rich narratives of pride and promise,” said Kimberly A. Blackwell, founder and CEO of PMM Agency, in the release. “Taking its many cultural forms through fans and fun, Academy looks forward to continuing its engagement across campuses, classics, content, customers and communities."