Academy Sports + Outdoors has entered into sponsorship agreements with the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) and signed on as the Official Sporting Goods and Outdoor Retailer of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC).
“We are very pleased to announce this exciting new partnership with Academy Sports + Outdoors,” remarked SIAC Commissioner Gregory Moore. “Both Academy and the SIAC share a common vision of encouraging more boys and girls to participate in youth sports – most particularly participation in many underrepresented non-traditional sports. We are confident that working together this partnership will meaningfully advance that important objective.”
The multi-year partnership is an opportunity for the SIAC and Academy to build community initiatives focused on grassroots programming that includes youth outreach and mentorship programs.
“The SIAC conference has a storied athletic history, due to the strong competition between its member schools and its passionate fan base,” said Lawrence Lobpries, Academy Sports + Outdoors’ senior vice president of marketing. “We are proud and excited to bring new, fun initiatives and mentorship programs to the SIAC and its schools through this partnership.”
The agreement between the SWAC and Academy Sports is also centered around impactful community-focused initiatives that will be highlighted by youth outreach and mentorship programs in local communities across the country. In addition to this partnership, Academy Sports will also support community based programs with “Adopt-a-Youth” and “Market Moments” designed to provide additional support for HBCU’s and their surrounding local communities.
“Academy Sports + Outdoors has made a significant investment within our league and local communities with this partnership,” said SWAC Commissioner Dr. Charles McClelland. We’re extremely excited to welcome Academy Sports + Outdoors to our family of sponsors as our overall core values and principles align in many facets and we view this partnership as one that’s mutually beneficial.”
“Many corporations publicly state support for progressive change within communities but fall short of that goal. Academy Sports + Outdoors has continued to offer its support and backed it with the resources needed to positively impact our youth and local communities. This partnership is another example of Academy Sports + Outdoors’ overall commitment to the minority community through its partnership with the Southwestern Athletic Conference.”
“Academy Sports + Outdoors has long served fans of the Southwestern Athletic Conference who have a passion for having fun, spending time outdoors, and creating memories together,” said Lobpries. “We’re proud to continue serving our local communities through this new partnership’s grassroots initiatives and mentorship programs.”
The SIAC is an NCAA athletic conference consisting primarily of historically black colleges and universities with headquarters in downtown Atlanta, GA. The SIAC includes 14 member institutions (Albany State University, Allen University, Benedict College, Central State University, Clark Atlanta University, Fort Valley State University, Kentucky State University, Lane College, LeMoyne-Owen College, Miles College, Morehouse College, Savannah State University, Spring Hill College, and Tuskegee University), which are located within a contiguous six-state footprint (Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Ohio).
The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) is considered one of the premier HBCU conferences in the country and currently ranks among the elite in the nation in terms of HBCU alumni playing with professional sports teams.
Photo courtesy SIAC/Academy Sports + Outdoors
