Save at Academy Sports + Outdoors Every Time You Shop

Whether you’re a fitness enthusiast looking for the latest equipment, an outdoor lover on the hunt for new fishing gear or just someone shopping for athleisure, Academy Sports + Outdoors has you covered.

But while the company’s vast brand and product selections are hard to beat, you might think the price points are another story. With so many name-brand options available, the products at Academy Sports + Outdoors must be pretty expensive, right? Well, not necessarily.

Thanks to various promotions and sales in store, it’s not hard to save money at Academy Sports. With all of these tricks and hacks, you’ll keep plenty of that hard-earned money in your pocket.

1. Sign up for the Academy Credit Card

One of the easiest ways to save money at a chain store is to sign up for the brand’s credit card. By signing up for the Academy credit card, you’ll get:

• 5% off all Academy Sports purchases.
• $15 off your first purchase.
• Free shipping.

The Academy Sports credit card gets you 5% off all of your purchases at the store, whether in person or online, in perpetuity. It’s hard to argue with that.

Plus, you’ll get $15 off your first purchase when you sign up for the Academy Sports credit card. And you don’t have to spend a certain amount of money to get the deal, either. So if you happen to find an item that’s exactly $15, well, it’s free. (If you don’t have the Academy credit card, meanwhile, you’ll get free shipping on orders over $25 if you’re logged in, and free shipping on orders over $35 if you aren’t logged in.)

The Academy credit card also gives cardholders free shipping on purchases of $15 or more. Forget adding things you don’t really need to your digital cart just to avoid shipping fees.

2. Check the Academy Sports Weekly Ad

Another foolproof way to save money at Academy Sports + Outdoors is by scanning the deals in the retailer’s weekly ads. From sales like 30% off outerwear to BOGO 50% off deals on various items of clothing, there are always ways to save.

Not shopping for clothes? Don’t worry — the Academy Sports weekly ad is still for you. The ads feature deals on equipment like bikes, treadmills, hunting gear and more, in addition to those awesome deals on workout attire.

3. Take Advantage of the Academy Sports Price Match Policy

Not only will Academy Sports match the price of a competitor, but they’ll do you one better. If you find the same item that’s sold at Academy Sports for a lower price somewhere else, the store will sell the item to you for 5% lower than the competitor’s price. Yes, really.

The fine print: The competitor’s price needs to be in a print ad, and you’ll have to show that ad to an Academy Sports employee. It’s worth the extra step, though, if it means you’ll be saving an additional 5%.

Some of the competitors that Academy Sports will price-match (and price-beat) include Amazon, Dicks Sporting Goods, Bass Pro Shops, REI, Target and Walmart, among a number of others. The full list includes:

• Amazon.
• Bass Pro Shops.
• Cabela’s.
• Carter’s Country.
• Champs Sporting Goods.
• Dicks Sporting Goods.
• Eastbay.
• Fanatics.
• Gander Outdoors.
• Hibbett Sports.
• Kansas Sampler.
• Rally House.
• REI.
• Scheels All Sports.
• Target.
• Walmart.

4. Keep an Eye out for Product Rebates

The only thing better than getting a low price in store is getting a low price in store and then going home to save even more money with a mail-in rebate. Some of the rebates listed on the Academy Sports site include everything from a free cue rack when you buy a pool table to $200 off the Garmin Panoptix scanning sonar for fishing enthusiasts.

Whether you’re saving hundreds of dollars or less than $50, it’s worth your time to send in a mail-in rebate. Have your cake and eat it, too, as they say.

5. Shop the Academy Sports Black Friday Deals

Shopping at Academy on Black Friday is a surefire way to save money on all of your sporting goods needs. Some of the Academy Sports Black Friday deals in 2021 included discounts on winter clothing, duck boots, insulated tumblers and even a trampoline. If you have a lot of holiday shopping to do, Black Friday is the time to do it.

As for just how much you’ll save at Academy Sports on Black Friday, it depends on the product. Discounts have ranged from 8% off to as much as 50% off in the past, and that includes sales on everything from clothing to sports gear. While stores like Academy offer plenty of year-round deals, Black Friday might be the perfect time to make that bigger purchase you’ve been saving up for.

6. Sign up for the Academy Sports Email List

Never miss a sale by signing up for the Academy email newsletter. You’ll get access to the weekly ads, along with other sales and even details about events at your local Academy store.

Plus, signing up for the Academy email list will get you 10% off your first purchase up to $200. (Up to a $200 purchase, that is, not $200 off.) There are exclusions to the deal, including things like ammunition as well as clearance items. But in general, simply signing up for emails will save you a nice 10% off your first purchase at the store.

7. Download the Academy Sports + Outdoors App

If the email list just isn’t enough, you can also download the Academy app to make sure you never miss a deal. The app will show you online-exclusive deals, as well as what deals you can expect to find at your local store.

Plus, with the Academy Sports app, you can place orders ahead of time for curbside or in-store pickup. You’ll still get to take advantage of all of the deals, without the hassle of walking around the store shopping.

8. Sign in With Your Store Account to Access Academy Sports Coupons

Looking for Academy Sports promo codes? Stop searching and just log in to your Academy Sports account online. Just by logging in, you’ll access deals like 20% off at checkout or coupons for $10 off $50 and $20 off $100.

9. Don’t Skip the Clearance Section

Whether you’re shopping in store or at Academy.com, the clearance section is where you’ll find incredible prices, no matter what time of year it is. We’ve seen fan apparel listed on the Academy Sports website’s clearance section for as much as 77% off, just to name one example. The clearance section of the Academy website includes everything from clothing to outdoor equipment, and you’ll find even more hot deals in stores.

Black Friday only comes once a year, but seasonal clearance sales are happening all year round.

10. Use In-Store Pickup So You Don’t Have to Pay for Shipping

Yes, you can get free shipping over $25 when you sign in to your customer account at Academy.com, and you can get free shipping at just $15 if you have an Academy Sports credit card. But if those amounts are still too high, there’s another easy way to avoid shipping fees: Academy Sports’ Buy Online, Pick up in Store program.

Using a curbside or in-store pickup option at Academy Sports + Outdoors allows you the convenience of shopping online — no browsing store aisles searching for items — without the shipping fees. Yes, you’ll still have to drive to the store, but you won’t have to wait in line to pay or walk around the store itself.

11. Take Advantage of Academy Sports + Outdoors’ Return Policy

Academy Sports has a fairly generous return policy, with a 60-day period from the date of purchase for you to return anything you’re not happy with. This isn’t a way to save money while shopping, per se, but you’re losing money if you hang onto an item you won’t use.

If you have a receipt, you can get a refund from Academy Sports to your initial form of payment, whether that’s store credit on a gift card, cash or credit back to your credit card. You may still be able to get a refund to the original form of payment without a receipt, provided you have a valid ID.

There are some exceptions to the return policy, such as firearms and baseball bats. But most standard gear, like clothing and sports equipment, can be returned to Academy Sports.