Sports Authority Closing List Includes E. Fowler Ave. Store: Report

By GREG HAMBRICK (Patch Staff) with Tim Darnell, Patch Staff

The Sports Authority filed for bankruptcy on Wednesday and announced it will close 140 stores.

The list of closing stores includes the Tampa site at 1730 E. Fowler Ave., , according documents attacked to the bankruptcy filing.

The sporting goods retailer is continuing a trend of big box stores scaling back on brick-and-mortar sites. The closings account for nearly a third of all Sports Authority locations.

"We are committed to evolving as a company so we are able to continue to offer the best brands at great values - both in our stores and on our website, SportsAuthority.com," CEO Michael Foss wrote in a letter to customers.

Impacted stores will be closed or sold over the next three months, according to Foss.

See the list of Sports Authority stores reportedly closing.

In January, the company, owned by a Los Angeles-based private equity firm, announced it had missed a $20 million debt payment.

If the company is granted approval from a bankruptcy judge,liquidation sales could begin as soon as Friday, reports USA Today.

In his letter, Foss stressed that gift cards, credit cards and the store's loyalty program should not be impacted due to the bankruptcy.

Sports Authority has 14,500 full- and part-time employees with more than $1 billion in liabilities and assets between $500,000 and $1 billion.