1972 Women’s Sports Pub prepares for relocation amid light rail project development

1972 Women’s Sports Pub co-founders Debra Hallum and Marlene du Plessis announced the pub’s future relocation due to construction for Austin’s light rail project. The announcement came in mid-May in a social post from the business.

Hallum and du Plessis are now asking community members to show their support for the pub by showing up, donating and identifying possible partnerships.

“Help us show that spaces like this matter in Austin,” the owners shared in an Instagram post.

The sports pub opened in spring 2025 on Guadalupe Street next to The University of Texas at Austin campus. The bar, clad with TVs and sports memorabilia signed by female athletes, serves as a space for all, Hallum said at the ribbon-cutting ceremony last year.

1972 Women’s Sports Pub predominantly streams women’s sports, offering a communal spot for fans to gather, eat and drink. The pub features a full bar and food menu with bites like burgers, sandwiches, flatbreads and loaded fries.

About the project

The light rail project is part of the Project Connect transit program, which was approved by voters in 2020, according to previous Community Impact reporting. The light rail project spans 10 miles and totals $7.1 billion.

Austin Transit Partnership approved an operations and maintenance building contract and a resolution to acquire parcels of land for the project at its April 15 meeting.

"This is the beginning of the process where people may anticipate that we will be taking condemnation actions and eminent domain actions," Mayor Kirk Watson said during the April 15 ATP meeting. "We have to emphasize this is the beginning of what will be, and we should anticipate, a sometimes uncomfortable process."

What’s next?

The owners shared that the pub’s building is one of the properties being acquired through eminent domain for the transit project. The team is now waiting on a notice to vacate, and they don’t know when the pub will officially have to move, Hallum said.

How to help

1972 Women’s Sports Pub hopes to engage the community, calling on fans to visit the space, bring friends, host events at the pub, share its story and help the team identify future locations, partners and sponsors.

“Like many small businesses, we’re already navigating a difficult economic climate, and relocating a community space like 1972 is a huge challenge,” the owners shared in an Instagram post. “Without additional investment and support, we will have difficult decisions to make about what comes next.”

The pub also has an online fundraiser for fans and supporters to donate toward relocation efforts.

• 2530 Guadalupe St., Austin
• www.1972pub.com