Sioux Falls shoppers stepping into The Empire Mall find a radically different retail footprint this week as a massive, experiential sporting goods hub opens its doors in a familiar vacant anchor spot.
Dick’s Sporting Goods has officially opened its new Dick’s House of Sport location inside the mall, occupying the sprawling space formerly held by Sears. Siouxfalls.business reported that the opening marks a major pivot for the national retailer in South Dakota, replacing the existing local storefront with a much larger venue.
Spanning more than 100,000 square feet, the new format shifts away from standard retail aisles toward immersive athletic experiences. The store features an outdoor turf field, a climbing wall, multiple golf bays equipped with TrackMan simulators, and a multisport cage built for baseball, softball, lacrosse, and soccer. These interactive zones allow customers to test equipment while tracking their performance data in real time.
Grand Opening Events and Celebrity Appearances Scheduled for November
While the doors are already open to shoppers, the company has scheduled an official three-day grand opening celebration from November 6 through November 8. The festivities kick off at 8:45 a.m. on November 6 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring retired NFL kicker Adam Vinatieri, a South Dakota native.
Former NFL tight end Kyle Rudolph will also greet fans at the store from noon to 1:30 p.m. on November 8. Store management noted that wristbands will be required for the Rudolph appearance and are limited, distributed on a first-come, first-served basis starting when the store opens that day. Rudolph will sign exclusively player cards provided by the store and will not accept outside items.
Additional events planned for the November 6-8 weekend include the Dick’s Vault experience, which gives shoppers a chance to unlock exclusive prizes, premium collectibles, and surprises. An Expression Lab station will offer customization for apparel and accessories with shoe charms, customized totes, and laser engraving.
The first 100 adults aged 18 and older in line each morning will receive mystery gift cards, while the first 100 children under 18 will receive Topps trading card pack giveaways. The weekend will also feature doorbuster deals and sweepstakes.
House of Sport Replaces Traditional Dick’s Location
Originally launched by the company in 2021, the House of Sport concept is designed to scale up traditional retail square footage into community sports hubs. The Sioux Falls store operates from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.
The closure of the older, traditional Dick’s Sporting Goods location leaves an open vacancy at The Empire Mall, as no new use has yet been finalized for that original property. Meanwhile, the arrival of the House of Sport coincides with other recent expansions at the shopping center, including the opening of a Toys R Us location near the interior entrance of the new sporting goods store, alongside fresh additions to the mall’s food court.
