Academy Sports and Outdoors opens first Tampa Bay store this week

Texas-based Academy Sports and Outdoors is having a grand opening for its first Tampa Bay store on Friday.

Academy Sports and Outdoors, a sporting goods and outdoor recreation chain, is coming to Pinellas Park’s Shoppes at Park Place on U.S. 19. It’ll be a 50,000-square-foot store with a range of nationally branded items, such as athletic shoes, sporting equipment, clothing, patio furniture, fishing gear, barbecue grills and more, according to a news release.

This will be the brand’s 14th location in Florida and it plans to open another in Wesley Chapel next year, the release said.

“Academy Sports + Outdoors is excited to kickstart fun in the Tampa Bay community by providing customers what they need to make pursuing their sports and outdoors passions easy and affordable,” said executive vice president of retail operations Sam Johnson in a statement. “Whether you’re an angler looking to reel in your next big catch, a holiday shopper searching for the perfect gift, or a fan gearing up for game day at Raymond James Stadium, our great value and services create new possibilities for families to get active.”

The store will offer free services from grill and bike assembly, scope mounting, bore sighting, line winding and propane exchange. Hunting and fishing licenses will also be available to purchase at the store.

Academy Sports and Outdoors was founded in Katy, Texas, in 1938 and has 268 stores across 18 states. This will be the first major opening at Shoppes at Park Place since the Pinellas Park shopping center was sold for $85 million in October to local real estate firm Belleair Development Group.

Grand opening festivities, including giveaways, will happen Friday through Sunday. The store is located at 7230 U.S. 19 N in Pinellas Park.