COMPANY HISTORY TIMELINE
1938 - Academy Sports + Outdoors traces its roots to 1938 when founder Max Gochman opened the Academy Tire Shop in San Antonio, Texas.
1939 - Academy Tire Shop begins selling military surplus.
1945 - Max changes store name to "Academy Super Surplus".
1956 - Max moves his business to Austin, Texas and expands to four stores.
1973 - Max's son Arthur Gochman purchases Southern Surplus Sales in Houston and changes its name to "Academy Corp." Arthur opens six Academy Super Surplus stores in Houston.
1978 - Arthur stops practicing law, devotes his time to Academy, and moves the corporate office to Houston.
1980 - Academy introduces sports and outdoors items including fishing, camping and sporting goods to its product assortment.
1981 - Academy moves into new offices and a 50,000 sq. ft. warehouse.
1983 - Academy runs its first multi-page newspaper advertisement during the holiday.
1984 - Athletic brands are added to the Academy product assortment.
1988 - Academy opens its first "big box" stores of 35,000-40,000 sq. ft.
1990 - Academy Sports + Outdoors purchases its current corporate office and distribution center at 1800 N. Mason Road in Katy, Texas. Company grows to 28 stores across Texas.
1991 - Academy exits military surplus business. Sales reach $100 million.
1994 - Academy expands beyond Texas to Edmond, Oklahoma and Lafayette, Louisiana.
1995 - Company changes its name to "Academy Sports + Outdoors".
1998 - Academy Sports + Outdoors opens its first Florida location.
1999 - Academy Sports + Outdoors opens its first Tennessee and Mississippi store locations. Sales reach $500 million.
2000 - Academy Sports + Outdoors opens 50th store location in Temple, Texas. Sales reach $1 billion.
2003 - Academy Sports + Outdoors opens its first Arkansas location.
2005 - Academy Sports + Outdoors opens its first Missouri and Georgia locations.
2006 - Academy Sports + Outdoors employs over 10,000 team members across the Southeast. The company opens first 100,000 sq. ft. store.
2007 - Rodney Faldyn is named as President. Academy Sports + Outdoors opens its first South Carolina location. Sales reach $2 billion.
2009 - Academy Sports + Outdoors adds a second distribution facility in Twiggs County, GA.
2011 - Academy Sports + Outdoors is acquired by KKR, a leading global investment firm. Rodney Faldyn is named CEO & President. The company also launches academy.com as a full eCommerce retail site.
2012 - Academy Sports + Outdoors opens its first North Carolina and Kansas locations. Sales reach $3 billion.
2014 - Academy Sports + Outdoors opens its first Indiana and Kentucky locations. Sales reach $4 billion.
2015 - J.K. Symancyk is named as CEO & President. Academy Sports + Outdoors opens 200th store location in Tupelo, MS.
2016 - Academy Sports + Outdoors opens its first Illinois location, and adds its third distribution facility in Cookeville, TN.
2018 - Ken C. Hicks is named as Chairman, President and CEO. Academy Sports + Outdoors opens 250th store location in Mansfield, TX.
Today - Academy Sports + Outdoors operates 259 stores in 16 states with more than 22,000 team members throughout the South, Southeast and Midwest. Sales exceed $4.8 billion