NORFOLK, Va., Oct. 20, 2020 – The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) has announced a partnership with Academy Sports + Outdoors to become the conference’s “Official Sporting Goods and Outdoor Retailer.”

This multi-year partnership provides Academy Sports + Outdoors exposure and fully integrated marketing assets across men’s and women’s basketball, conference championship events, and the events and content surrounding the MEAC’s 50th anniversary.

“We are extremely excited to partner with Academy Sports + Outdoors as they engage with our conference and member institutions,” MEAC Commissioner Dennis E. Thomas said. “During this tumultuous time in our country, it is great for companies and organizations to invest in the MEAC. We look forward to a long and lasting partnership with Academy Sports + Outdoors.”

Academy’s Community Engagement Platform and Market Moments Campaign will also be showcased at several MEAC member institutions. The Community Engagement Platform will allow each member institution to collaborate with Academy in their local markets highlighting schools, youth teams and local initiatives.

“Whether MEAC fans are already loyal Academy customers or discovering our brand for the first time, we’re excited to showcase our assortment of fun sports, outdoors and recreational products while implementing impactful community focused initiatives,” said Lawrence Lobpries, Academy Sports + Outdoors’ Senior Vice President of Marketing. “Through this partnership, we’re proud to give back to our local communities and help MEAC fans have fun out there.”

This partnership was brokered by Collegiate Sports Management Group (CSMG), which represents the MEAC for media and marketing partnerships.

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About the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) celebrates its 50th year of intercollegiate competition with the 2020-21 academic school year. Located in Norfolk, Va., the MEAC is made up of 11 outstanding historically black institutions across the Atlantic coastline: Bethune-Cookman University, Coppin State University, Delaware State University, Florida A&M University, Howard University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina Central University and South Carolina State University.

About Academy Sports + Outdoors
Academy is one of the leading full-line sporting goods and outdoor recreation retailers in the United States.  Originally founded in 1938 as a family business in Texas, Academy has grown to 259 stores across 16 contiguous states, primarily in the southern United States.  Academy's mission is to provide "Fun for All" and Academy fulfills this mission with a localized merchandising strategy and value proposition that strongly connects with a broad range of consumers.  Academy's product assortment focuses on key categories of outdoor, apparel, footwear and sports & recreation through both leading national brands and a portfolio of 17 private label brands, which go well beyond traditional sporting goods and apparel offerings.

About Collegiate Sports Management Group
Founded in 2014, CSMG is a College Sports Properties Group that drives the business performance of college athletic conferences and schools, providing them with a successful growth strategy, and generating revenue to support their athletic department and initiatives. CSMG specializes in Marketing Rights/Revenue Generation, Content Creation & Distribution, Media Rights Strategy & Negotiation, Sponsorship Sales, Name Image and Likeness Solutions, Licensing, Event Production & Management, Ticketing and Esports.

CONTACT: Jeff Cunningham
Assistant Director of Media Relations
Phone: 757-951-2055