Academy Sports & Outdoors 401(k) Review & Grade
Academy, LTD. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan
Katy, TXRetail Trade22,502 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$695Employer $ per active participant
$1,065Employee $ saved per active participant
0.15%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$364.8MNet plan assets, end of year
–Average balance per account (account count looks misreported)
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity25.6 / 5051th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost6.8 / 2527th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving4.5 / 1530th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-10 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score30 / 100 · Grade D
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Retail Trade plans with 10,000+ active participants (124 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 51th |
| Lower admin cost | 27th |
| Employee saving | 30th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 32% |
Get the monthly 401(k) report card
The best and worst plans, new grades as filings post. One email a month, no spam.
Red flags from the filing
Benefits not paid when due: the plan reported failing to pay some benefits on time.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Academy Sports & Outdoors put in about $695 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($689). Contribute at least enough to collect the full match. Skipping it leaves part of your pay on the table.
- The filing shows total dollars, not the match formula. Ask HR for the Summary Plan Description so you know the exact match and vesting schedule.
- Direct plan expenses (0.15% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.09%). Check your annual fee disclosure, choose low-cost index funds if you can, and think about whether savings beyond the match belong in an IRA.
- Changing jobs? You can usually leave the money in the plan, move it to your new employer's plan, or roll it into an IRA. Don't cash out: you'd owe taxes and possibly a 10% penalty.
The raw numbers from the filing
| Employer contributions | $15,646,279 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $23,959,079 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $3,268,571 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $524,226 |
| Contract administrator fees | $1,200 |
| Benefits paid out | $43,867,031 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $320.6M / $364.8M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 21,370 / 23,635 |
| Participants with account balances | 3,936 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Crowe, LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $524,226 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251015164317NAL0002653139001, received 2025-10-15, EIN 74-1670067, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.