June 27, 2022, Farmers Branch, TX — BSN SPORTS, one of the largest direct marketers and distributors of sporting goods, footwear, apparel and branding to the school and league markets and a division of Varsity Brands, today announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire substantially all of the assets of the Eastbay Team Sales business (“Eastbay Team Sales”) from Foot Locker Retail, Inc., a subsidiary of Foot Locker, Inc. (NYSE: FL).
Founded in 1980 and originally established to meet the performance needs of local high school and college athletes in Central Wisconsin, Eastbay Team Sales is now a leading supplier of athletic footwear, apparel and sports equipment to high school and college athletes. Foot Locker, Inc. acquired Eastbay Team Sales through its acquisition of Eastbay in 1997 to integrate an additional channel of distribution for athletic footwear, apparel, and equipment.
BSN SPORTS is a leader in the school and league markets with over 1,100 Field Sales Professionals serving coaches and athletic directors in virtually every zip code in the United States. The Company supports these Field Sales Professionals with Category Managers, Territory Managers, Customer Service Representatives and a robust marketing infrastructure and leading technology that enable the Sales Professionals to provide customers with the most complete and customized one-stop shopping experience in the team sporting goods industry.
Terry Babilla, President of BSN SPORTS, said, “We are excited that the employees of Eastbay Team Sales will be joining the BSN SPORTS family, which is dedicated exclusively to serving athletes, athletic directors and coaches who impact more lives in a year than most people do in a lifetime. This dedicated approach means that our new Sales Professionals will benefit from the best and broadest inventory selection, leading design and customization tools and support resources as they deliver the stellar service experience all customers deserve. We welcome the Eastbay Team employees to the BSN SPORTS family and look forward to a productive and rewarding integration of our teams headed into the 2022-2023 school year.”
Varsity Brands, BSN SPORTS’ parent company, is a portfolio company of Bain Capital Private Equity.
About BSN SPORTS
Dallas-based BSN SPORTS is the leading marketer, manufacturer and distributor of sporting goods apparel and equipment. A division of Varsity Brands, BSN SPORTS markets and distributes its products to over 150,000 institutional and team sports customers in colleges and universities, middle and high schools, and recreational programs throughout the United States via catalog, e-commerce, and direct sales. Focused on providing game changing solutions through local partnerships, multi-brand selection and one-stop shopping for equipment and uniforms, BSN SPORTS’ more than 3,000 employees have been helping elevate participation in team sports since 1972. For more information about BSN SPORTS please visit www.bsnsports.com.
About Varsity Brands
With a mission to inspire achievement and create memorable experiences for young people, Varsity Brands elevates the student experience, promotes participation and celebrates achievement through three unique but interrelated businesses: Herff Jones, a Varsity Achievement Brand; BSN SPORTS, a Varsity Sport Brand; and Varsity Spirit. Together, these assets promote personal, school and community pride through their customizable products and programs to elementary and middle schools, high schools, and colleges and universities, as well as church organizations, professional and collegiate sports teams and corporations. Through its 8,200 dedicated employees and independent representatives, Varsity Brands reaches its individual and institutional customers each year via catalog, telesales, ecommerce sites and direct sales channels.
Media Contact
Lisa BartekBSN SPORTS Director of Communicationslbartek@varsitybrands.com
