Sports Authority - #16
Sports Authority opened its first store in late 1987 in Southern Florida. In 1990 Kmart (yes...the Kmart) acquired the company and they converted their two Sports Giant stores to Sports Authority locations.
In 1995, having grown to over 135 stores, Kmart spun off the sporting goods chain. In 2003, Gart Sports (which was built through a "mish-mash" of mergers consisting of Gart Brothers' Sportscastle, Hagan's Sports, Stevens Brown of Salt Lake City, Sportsmart and Oshman's) and Sports Authority merged and the combine retail portfolio took on the Sports Authority name in full by 2006.
That same year, "good 'ol private equity" stepped in (Leonard Green & Partners) and purchased the retailer. As is the pattern of much of what private equity touches in the retail world, Sports Authority declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March of 2016.
Despite attempts to avoid liquidation, including talks with Academy Sports + Outdoors and Dick's Sporting Goods, the bankruptcy filing was converted to Chapter 7 in mid-2016 and all locations closed.
Today, if you type in the Sports Authority domain, it takes you to the Dick's Sporting Goods website.
