Academy Sports + Outdoors to enter Orlando, Fla. market with four new stores in 2015; brings 500 new jobs

Also announces multi-year partnership with Univ. of Central Florida

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Jul 29, 2014, 07:00 ET

KATY, Texas, July 29, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Academy Sports + Outdoors (d/b/a Academy), a premier sports, outdoor and lifestyle retailer, announced it will open four stores in the Orlando, Florida area in 2015. The four stores will be located in Kissimmee, Lake Mary, Waterford Lakes and Melbourne. In addition, Academy has formed a multi-year partnership with the Univ. of Central Florida.

"We are extremely excited to continue our store expansion further south into Florida and become an active member of the Orlando community," said Ken Attaway, Academy's executive vice president and chief operating officer. "We look forward to offering active-minded families and outdoor enthusiasts in the Orlando area a fun new option for all their sports, outdoor and lifestyle needs at our everyday low prices."

Academy is known throughout the South and Midwest U.S. for its wide selection and everyday low prices on products such as golf equipment and apparel, fishing, team sports, casual and athletic footwear and apparel, hunting, camping, patio, bbq, recreation and leisure, and sports and fitness equipment and gear. The stores will feature sports, outdoor and lifestyle products from top brands such as Nike, adidas, Under Armour, Columbia and much more. Academy is committed to offering the best brands at low prices - everyday.

All four Orlando-area stores will be approximately 63,000 square feet. Each store will create approximately 125 new jobs. The stores will provide many services including assembly and delivery, hunting and fishing licenses, scope mounting, bore sighting, line winding/spooling, propane exchange and racquet stringing and have a broad selection of local sports team gear.

"We want to welcome Academy Sports + Outdoors to the Orlando community and to the UCF family," said UCF Director of Athletics and University Vice President, Todd Stansbury. "With all the sporting events and outdoor recreation activities our region has to offer, we know our students and fans will be thrilled to have a shopping destination like Academy that also supports the Knights."

Academy Sports + Outdoors is a proud partner of UCF Athletics.

Prior to the store openings, customers can shop academy.com, receive the digital version of the weekly ad, engage with Academy through its social media sites, and sign up for email and SMS text alerts. Individuals interested in careers at Academy can visit www.academy.com/careers to apply for open positions.

Academy Sports + Outdoors currently has five stores in north Florida: one in Pensacola, one in Tallahassee, and three in Jacksonville.

About Academy Sports + Outdoors
Academy Sports + Outdoors is a premier sports, outdoor and lifestyle retailer with a broad assortment of quality hunting, fishing and camping equipment and gear along with sports and leisure products, footwear, apparel and much more. The Texas-based company operates 178 stores throughout Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. The Academy Sports + Outdoors philosophy is to deliver an unparalleled shopping experience by providing convenience, offering a broad selection of quality products, delivering exceptional customer service and selling the right stuff at everyday low prices. For more information about Academy Sports + Outdoors visit academy.com, facebook.com/academy, twitter.com/academy, pinterest.com/academy, youtube.com/academy and instagram.com/academy.