1972 Pub is set to open Wednesday, right on the edge of campus on Guadalupe Street as the first all-women’s sports bar in Austin, according to Fox 7.
The pub will broadcast only women’s sports, with every team from collegiate to pro having a chance to be seen by their most loyal fans. Located in West Campus, the pub plans to serve as a safe space for sports fans, especially those who have never had the chance to watch their favorite teams on a big screen.
This bar was not just a dream for 1972 owner and founder Debra Hallum, but also fans across the United States, as CBS Sports saw an average viewership increase of 86% when streaming WNBA games according to the WNBA website.
Hallum said she wanted to create a space that allowed fans to appreciate women’s sports, and the community they fostered in ways traditional sports bars could not.
“We walked in and wanted to watch a game, and they didn’t have the sound on because they had something going on for men,” Hallum said.
1972 was not an overnight idea but a labor of love that was weighing on her for a long time, Hallum said. The desire to create a space for women was powerful enough for Hallum to leave her stable career in the telecommunications field and put everything she had into this passion project.
“I couldn’t get it off of my head and I couldn’t get it off of my heart,” Hallum said. “I shed some tears because I was going to leave a big career and income and losing that steady pay and spending my own money on something like that was scary as hell.”
Hallum said the journey of creating the pub began in 2022, when the first dedicated women’s sports bar, dubbed Sports Bra, opened in Portland, Oregon. Bars like this began to gain popularity and hybrid bars, which pledge to show both male and female games, popped up in the biggest cities across the nation.
After seeing the hybrid bar community in Austin, Hallum said she knew a distinguishable women’s bar was the next step.
“You can go anywhere in Austin and watch men’s sports, so why not make female athletes in women’s sports (just as) important,” Hallum said.
Once she left her corporate career, she started hunting for the perfect bar location. Having lived in Austin for years, with family close by and one of the largest sports fan bases in the country, according to a study by the Longhorns Wire, the state’s capital was the ideal location. However, West Campus was not a part of the plan.
“I didn’t actually think that West Campus was best for this,” Hallum said. “We were looking in central Austin, but the campus was never a requirement in our search.” Hoping to open the bar in central Austin, where it would be accessible to all residents.
After a real estate deal fell through and Moody’s Bar came up for lease, the situation turned around, and Hallum decided to consider the student fanbase as an advantage and dove at the opportunity.
“We visited (Moody’s) as customers and realized how quick we could turn it around,” Hallums said. “And being at the university and the campus is a big bonus for us.”
Taking a chance on the location, it seems this gamble paid off as students have been preparing for the opening right before the kickoff of the NCAA Women’s March Madness tournament.
“It’s a game changer to have a dedicated place where we can watch and celebrate women’s sports,” said freshman government student Ellie Berman. “I’m so glad to join this community on campus and show the world (that) the women’s sports industry deserves a spotlight.”
This was Hallum’s goal all along. She said she wants the community to have a place where everyone is welcome and where female athletes are celebrated, because even with the big strides to give female athletes their time in the limelight, there is still a long way to go.
“There’s more room to (grow),” Hallum said. “We’re not near done.”
