sports authority gift cards still good

What Happened to Sports Authority?

Sports Authority was once one of the largest sports equipment retailers in the U.S., with hundreds of stores nationwide. But after years of declining sales and growing debt, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March 2016. By August of the same year, they officially closed all remaining stores.

As part of the bankruptcy process, the brand’s name and some physical assets were acquired, but the gift cards were left behind. At the time, consumers had a brief window—just a few months—during which they could redeem gift cards. After that, the cards became useless.

So, Are sports authority gift cards still good?

Straight up: no, not for their original purpose. Since the brand shut down and there are no longer any active stores or corporate infrastructure, there’s no system in place to process or honor those gift cards. There’s no website, no customer service, no brickandmortar store where you could walk in and use them.

If you’ve found a gift card tucked into a drawer, it’s now unfortunately just a small plastic relic—at least when it comes to spending it.

What About Retail Partnerships or Parent Companies?

It’s natural to wonder if another company took over and might honor the card. Most people look at Dick’s Sporting Goods or Modell’s—both competitors in the same niche. But no, neither company offers redemption options for Sports Authority gift cards.

Bed Bath & Beyond and Toys R Us have shown examples in the past of acquiring defunct retailers and sometimes honoring their old gift cards in some capacity. But that wasn’t the case here.

The bottom line: Don’t expect another retailer to accept your sports authority gift cards still good wishes as a valid form of payment.

Can You Get a Refund or File a Claim?

In most U.S. bankruptcies, creditors (that includes gift card holders) can file a claim for reimbursement—but there’s usually a tight deadline. For Sports Authority, that deadline passed back in 2016. Once a bankruptcy court settles and pays out the secured creditors, everyone else is usually out of luck.

Unless you filed a timely claim and received reimbursement years ago, there’s likely nothing left to collect on now.

Are There Alternative Uses?

Even though you probably can’t redeem the card for store credit, all is not lost. A few creative ideas:

Recycle the Plastic: Many municipalities let you recycle outdated plastic gift cards. Use as a Learning Tool: Cards like these are perfect for teaching kids how to handle debit or credit card usage. Repurpose: If you’re crafty, old gift cards can be turned into guitar picks, labels, or other DIY projects.

Sure, it won’t get you those running shoes, but you can still put the card to some small use.

Better Ways to Handle Gift Cards in the Future

Here’s the lesson: even big brands aren’t immune to going under. When you get a gift card, use it sooner rather than later. And if you’ve got an unused card:

Check the company’s financial health with a quick news search. Register your card online if that’s an option. Set a calendar reminder to make sure you don’t forget about it.

Unused cards hurt more when the business folds and leaves you with nothing but disappointment.

Summary: Are sports authority gift cards still good?

No. Sports authority gift cards still good is a question with a closedend answer: they’re not valid and haven’t been for years. The company is gone, the redemption window has closed, and alternatives are few. You can’t cash them out and you can’t transfer the balance. Keep them as nostalgic memorabilia—or repurpose them creatively.

If you’ve got gift cards to other retailers, learn from this. Use them while you can. And don’t count on any plastic promise lasting forever.