Academy Sports + Outdoors Welcomes Division I Basketball Tournaments to Texas with $1 Million Scholarship Challenge

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Mar 14, 2023, 06:05 ET

The retailer pledges to donate $1 million to the winning university's scholarship fund if both men's and women's teams take home 2023 Championship titles

KATY, Texas, March 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Academy Sports + Outdoors ("Academy") is celebrating college basketball's biggest events coming to Texas for the first time in history by pledging to donate up to $1 million to any university that secures both the men's and women's champion titles. The donation will be made to the winning university's general scholarship fund and is valid to any participating university with both their men's and women's team in the 2023 Division I College Basketball Championships. With this Texas-sized challenge, Academy wants to welcome teams and fans by encouraging fun and inspiring school spirit throughout the tournament.

"The Division I basketball tournaments are some of the most thrilling sporting events of the year, and what better place to showcase the passion and excitement of collegiate sports than in the great state of Texas," said Steve Lawrence, EVP and Chief Merchandising Officer at Academy Sports + Outdoors. "We hope this fun incentive encourages fans to rally around their favorite school to boost their general scholarship fund and help future generations gain access to a great education."

The donation will go directly to the winning school's general scholarship fund. The $1 million prize will be awarded only if both the women's (April 2) and men's (April 3) teams from the same school win their respective 2023 National Championship.

The 2023 Men's Finals will be hosted in Houston at NRG Stadium, while the 2023 Women's Finals will take place at American Airlines Center in Dallas. This is the first time in history both men's and women's tournaments have been hosted in Texas – Academy Sports + Outdoors' home state.

Fans needing to gear up for their next watch party or tournament game can visit their local Academy store or visit academy.com to shop for gear and licensed apparel for over 100 different teams.

About Academy Sports + Outdoors
Academy is a leading full-line sporting goods and outdoor recreation retailer in the United States. Originally founded in 1938 as a family business in Texas, Academy has grown to 268 stores across 18 states. Academy's mission is to provide "Fun for All" and Academy fulfills this mission with a localized merchandising strategy and value proposition that strongly connects with a broad range of consumers. Academy's product assortment focuses on key categories of outdoor, apparel, sports & recreation and footwear through both leading national brands and a portfolio of private label brands. For more information, visit www.academy.com

SOURCE Academy Sports + Outdoors