AUSTIN, Texas – A first-of-its-kind sports bar is coming to the Austin area, this one dedicated to women’s sports.

The owners say it’s more than just a spot to watch the game; it’s part of a movement to unite women.

What we know:

A new pub called the 1972 is coming to Guadalupe Street, at the old Moody’s Kitchen and Bar location, just steps away from the University of Texas at Austin campus.

The name is a tribute to the landmark year when Title IX was passed, a law that changed the landscape of women’s sports. 

The new pub will exclusively show collegiate and professional women’s sports on their TVs.

Renovations in the space are underway, but eventually, the venue will feature big screens showcasing women’s sports year-round, signed memorabilia on the walls, an extensive menu, and a welcoming vibe for all fans – including men.

The pub is expected to open in March, just in time for the NCAA basketball tournament.

The backstory:

For co-owners Debra Hallum and Marlene Duplessis, the vision was simple.

“To give female athletes and women’s sports a platform, a place to put them on a pedestal and to grow the interest and the love for women’s sports,” said Hallum.

The pair got the idea from visiting other sports bars with a similar business model in Portland and Seattle, but they didn’t see anything like that here.

“Whenever we wanted to watch a women’s sports game, we had to ask the bar, the pub to put it on. And then whenever they did put it on, there was no sound. Or they would, just as soon as a men’s game would start, they would just switch it over,” said Duplessis.

Why you should care:

This will be the first sports pub dedicated to women’s sports in Austin.

“It really means a lot because we have a lot of sports bars on campus, plenty, a couple that we’ve always gone to. But I think it’s cool that we finally have one that’s kind of like that will play one for all women’s sports, I guess. Yeah, I think it’ll bring in that kind of community,” said UT freshman Eva Lin.

“Women’s sports is very physical, very athletic. It’s very interesting. It’s entertaining. Some of them are just as fast and wonderful as any man’s sport. And yeah, I think it’s booming because people are open to that and they’re seeing how entertaining and great it can be,” said Hallum.

It’s a movement the owners say they’re proud to be a part of.

“We would like to look at it as a movement, you know, and we are part of that movement. We didn’t start it. And we are just going to keep it going, you know, and hopefully other people will join,” said Duplessis.