Academy Sports + Outdoors sets August opening for River Hills Mall store

The Katy-based retailer’s first Kerrville store — effectively a new build carved into River Hills Mall and turned to face outward — will span nearly 49,000 square feet and bring an estimated 60 jobs, more than a year after the City Council cleared the way.

Academy Sports + Outdoors plans to open its first Kerrville store in August, the Katy-based retailer announced Monday, finalizing a plan the City Council set in motion last year.

The 48,885-square-foot store is effectively new construction built into River Hills Mall at 200 Sidney Baker St. Rather than occupy interior mall space, Academy carved out a large section between the Belk anchor and the rest of the mall and turned the store outward, giving it the exterior storefront and entrance of a typical standalone or strip-center Academy. The company estimates the location will bring about 60 jobs and says it will be Academy’s 121st store in Texas.

The Lead first reported in April 2025 that Academy was headed to Kerrville, after the City Council voted unanimously to authorize City Manager Dalton Rice to negotiate with the retailer following a lengthy executive session. The motion came from Councilmember Jeff Harris.

The store will carry sporting goods and outdoor gear across hunting, fishing, camping, outdoor cooking, team sports, apparel and footwear, the company said.

Academy began as a family business in Texas in 1938 and now operates more than 300 stores across 21 states. The company went public in 2020 and trades on the Nasdaq under the ticker ASO.

Academy said it is hiring for the Kerrville store, with open positions posted at careers.academy.com. The company has not announced a specific opening date; details on grand-opening events are at academy.com/Kerrville.