"We are excited to expand our presence in Kansas by opening two Kansas City stores and through new partnerships with Kansas, K-State and Mizzou," says Anita Sehgal, Academy Sports + Outdoors' senior vice president of marketing and advertising. "This clearly demonstrates our commitment to the local community, fans and their families; and we look forward to providing all of these new customers with a diverse range of products for all the activities they love, no matter where their team passions might lie."

Academy Sports + Outdoors is opening two new stores in the Kansas City area, one in Overland Park, opening August 16, and one in Olathe, opening later this fall. In addition to carrying officially licensed products for all three universities, Academy Sports + Outdoors offers a wide selection of sports, outdoors and lifestyle products that include tailgating, fan gear, patio, barbecue, golf, fitness, footwear and more from top brands Nike, Under Armour, Columbia and more.

"While Academy Sports + Outdoors are beginning to expand in the state of Kansas, the company is more than 75 years old. This will resonate with our loyal fans that identify with a rich tradition," said Shane Hildreth, Vice President - Southwest Regional Sales, IMG College. "We're thrilled to introduce the Jayhawks faithful to Academy Sports + Outdoors and their wide selection of fan gear, sports, outdoor and recreation products."

Academy Sports + Outdoors is the Official Partner of Jayhawks Athletics. The sponsorship agreement was brokered by IMG College, the multimedia partner of the University of Kansas.

The Academy Sports + Outdoors partnerships with K-State Athletics and Mizzou Athletics were secured by K-State Sports Properties and Mizzou Sports Properties, which are both properties of Learfield Sports, the multimedia rights holder for each university.

"We're pleased to grow Academy Sports + Outdoors' presence in the Learfield family with the additions of K-State and Mizzou," said Chuck Schroeder, vice president of Learfield Sports, which manages multimedia rights for more than 50 collegiate institutions and associations. "As they expand into Kansas, we're happy to have the Wildcats' and Tigers' branded merchandise in the stores available for fans, and we know this marks a solid opportunity for Academy Sports + Outdoors to demonstrate its commitment to its immediate community and sports enthusiasts."

Academy Sports + Outdoors will have a branding presence at venues for both universities and is the Official Partner of Wildcats Athletics and Official Partner of Tigers Athletics.

Earlier this year, Academy Sports + Outdoors also announced a new multi-year deal with the Kansas City Royals.

Academy Sports + Outdoors