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Sports
Authority
Headquarters:
1050 West Hampden Ave.
Englewood, CO 80110
Employees: 15,000
CEO: Doug Morton
Privately held
Website: http://www.sportsauthority.com
The Sports Authority, is one of the nation's leading sporting good retailers. It operates 465 stores in 45 U.S. states under The Sports Authority name. The Company's e-tailing website, located at thesportsauthority.com is operated by GSI Commerce, Inc. under license and e-commerce agreements.
It also operates stores in Japan under a licensing agreement with AEON Ltd.
Sports Authority stores range in size from 25,000-50,000 square feet and offer a broad range of sporting equipment including golf, football, baseball, basketball and tennis products as well as clothing, sneakers and exercise equipment.
The company was taken private in 2006 and is no longer publicly traded.
CEO Doug Morton announced in October he will retire but remain company chairman.
History
The Sports Authority, Inc. opened its first store in November 1987 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In 1990, with approximately nine stores in six states, the company was acquired by Kmart. Five years later, The Sports Authority had expanded to 136 stores in 26 states, and was spun-off from parent Kmart. At the time of its merger with Gart Sports Company, The Sports Authority was the largest full-line sporting goods retailer in the United States, and had 205 stores in 33 states.
The Sports Authority, Inc. announced on May 3, 2006 that it had completed the going-private transaction approved at a special meeting of Sports Authority's stockholders on May 2, 2006. As a result of the transaction, each issued and outstanding share of The Sports Authority, Inc. common stock was cancelled and converted automatically into the right to receive $37.25 in cash, without interest. The transaction was led by Leonard Green & Partners, L.P. and members of The Sports Authority's management.
All Gart Sports stores were converted to Sports Authority in 2006.
Updated November 26, 2009