History of Dick's Sporting Goods in Timeline

Dick's Sporting Goods is the largest sporting goods retailer in the United States, founded in 1948 by Richard "Dick" Stack. It's a publicly traded company and a member of the Fortune 500, demonstrating its significant presence and scale within the sporting goods market.

1948: Company Founded

In 1948, Richard "Dick" Stack founded Dick's Sporting Goods as a fishing tackle store in Binghamton, New York.

1984: Edward Stack Becomes Chairman and CEO

In 1984, Edward W. Stack became chairman and chief executive officer of Dick's Sporting Goods following his father's retirement.

1994: Headquarters Relocation

In 1994, Edward W. Stack relocated the company's headquarters to Pittsburgh.

2002: Initial Public Offering

In 2002, Edward W. Stack led Dick's Sporting Goods during its initial public offering.

July 2004: Acquisition of Galyan's

In July 2004, Dick's Sporting Goods acquired Galyan's.

November 2006: Agreement to Purchase Golf Galaxy

In November 2006, Dick's Sporting Goods agreed to purchase Golf Galaxy for $225 million.

2006: Naming Rights Agreement

In 2006, Dick's Sporting Goods signed a 20-year naming rights agreement for Dick's Sporting Goods Park, a soccer-specific stadium for the Colorado Rapids team.

November 2007: Acquisition of Chick's Sporting Goods

In November 2007, Dick's Sporting Goods acquired Chick's Sporting Goods for $71 million.

2008: Golf Galaxy Headquarters Closure

In mid-2008, Dick's Sporting Goods confirmed plans to close Golf Galaxy's headquarters in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

2009: ESPN College Football Sponsorship

In 2009, Dick's Sporting Goods began sponsoring ESPN's college football kickoff week.

2009: National Expansion

Until 2009, Dick's Sporting Goods primarily operated in the Eastern United States, after which it expanded across the country.

2012: True Runner Store Openings

In 2012, Dick's Sporting Goods opened three True Runner stores in Boston, Brentwood (St. Louis suburb), and Pittsburgh's Shadyside neighborhood.

2012: Suspension of Assault-Style Weapon Sales

In 2012, Dick's-branded stores suspended assault-style weapon sales following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

2013: First Field & Stream Store Opens

In 2013, Dick's Sporting Goods opened its first Field & Stream store in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania.

2014: Sports Matter Program

In 2014, the Dick's Sporting Goods Foundation committed up to $2 million annually to fund youth sports via its Sports Matter program, initiated to provide grants, equipment, and sponsorships to underserved youth sports programs.

2015: Chelsea Collective Launch

In 2015, Dick's Sporting Goods launched Chelsea Collective, a women's athleisure, fitness, and lifestyle store, opening two stores in Pittsburgh and Tysons, Virginia.

2015: Partnership with Carrie Underwood

In 2015, Dick's Sporting Goods partnered with Carrie Underwood to launch Calia, a fitness lifestyle line.

2015: Sponsorship of Olympic and Paralympic Athletes

In 2015, Dick's Sporting Goods sponsored Olympic and Paralympic athletes and became the "official sporting goods retailer" for Team USA for the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics.

July 2016: Team USA Athlete Employment

As of July 2016, Dick's Sporting Goods employed approximately 200 Team USA athletes competing in 35 different Olympic and Paralympic sports, across 89 stores in 32 states.

October 2016: Acquisition of Golfsmith

In October 2016, Dick's Sporting Goods acquired Golfsmith at a bankruptcy auction for approximately $70 million.

2016: Acquisition of Affinity Sports and Sports Authority's Brand

In 2016, Dick's Sporting Goods purchased Affinity Sports and acquired Sports Authority's brand name and intellectual property.

2016: Dick's Team Sports HQ Launch

In early 2016, Dick's Sporting Goods launched Dick's Team Sports HQ, offering youth sports teams websites, uniforms, and sponsorship options.

2017: Chelsea Collective Closure

In 2017, Dick's Sporting Goods closed its Chelsea Collective stores.

2017: Partnership with US Youth Soccer Association

In 2017, Dick's Sporting Goods entered a multiyear partnership with the United States Youth Soccer Association to provide team management technology and sponsor the US Youth Soccer National Championships.

2017: Dick's Stores and Golf Galaxy Locations

In 2017, Dick's Sporting Goods had 690 stores and nearly 100 Golf Galaxy locations.

2017: Golfsmith Stores Rebranded

In 2017, Dick's Sporting Goods rebranded 36-38 Golfsmith stores as Golf Galaxy, increasing the number of Golf Galaxy stores to 98.

2017: True Runner Store Closures

In early 2017, Dick's Sporting Goods closed its True Runner stores.

January 2018: Distribution Center Expansion

In January 2018, Dick's Sporting Goods opened a distribution center in Conklin, New York, which was later expanded to handle online sales.

February 2018: Policy Changes After Stoneman Douglas Shooting

In February 2018, following the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, Dick's Sporting Goods stopped selling assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and increased the minimum age for purchasing guns to 21.

2018: Field & Stream Stores Open

As of 2018, Thirty-five Field & Stream stores were open across the country.

2019: DSG Clothing Line Launch

In 2019, Dick's Sporting Goods launched its private-label clothing line called DSG.

February 1, 2021: Lauren Hobart Appointed CEO

On February 1, 2021, Lauren Hobart succeeded Edward W. Stack as CEO of Dick's Sporting Goods, becoming the company's first female CEO.

September 2021: Official Retail Partner of the WNBA

Since September 2021, Dick's Sporting Goods has been in a multiyear agreement to be the official retail partner of the WNBA.

2021: Collaboration with Nike and DeVonta Smith

In 2021, Dick's Sporting Goods collaborated with Nike and DeVonta Smith.

2021: House of Sport and Public Lands Store Openings

In 2021, Dick's Sporting Goods opened its first "House of Sport" concept stores in Victor, New York, and Knoxville, Tennessee. The company also launched Public Lands, a chain of stores focused on outdoor recreation and opened its first Public Lands store in 2021.

2022: DSG Ventures Launched

In 2022, Dick's Sporting Goods launched DSG Ventures, an investment fund worth $50 million.

February 2023: Acquisition of Moosejaw

In February 2023, Dick's Sporting Goods purchased Moosejaw from Walmart for an undisclosed amount.

August 2023: Employee Count

As of August 2023, Dick's Sporting Goods employed approximately 53,000 individuals.

2023: Number of Stores

As of 2023, there are more than 800 Dick's Sporting Goods stores in 47 states.

2023: Sponsorship of Boston Athletic Association and NCAA

In 2023, Dick's Sporting Goods became the official sponsor of all Boston Athletic Association events, including the 2023 Boston Marathon, and became the official sporting-goods retailer of the NCAA. Additionally, GameChanger signed a deal with Major League Baseball to promote youth sports that same year.

2023: Field & Stream Brand Shuttered

In 2023, Dick's Sporting Goods discontinued its Field & Stream brand, converting the remaining stores to House of Sport or large format Dick's stores.

2023: 'Sports Change Lives' Campaign Launch

In 2023, Dick's Sporting Goods launched the 'Sports Change Lives' campaign, partnering with Nike, Inc., and athletes such as Mike Trout, A'ja Wilson, and Carmelo Anthony, who each nominated a youth sports organization to receive a $75,000 grant.

2024: Executive Leadership

As of 2024, Edward W. Stack is the executive chairman, Lauren Hobart is the president and chief executive officer, and Navdeep Gupta is the chief financial officer of Dick's Sporting Goods.