Once its liquor license arrives, a Downtown mainstay will open its doors for the first time this academic year — but under a new name.

Ty Fish, co-owner of The Scoreboard, is set to move the bar from its Washington Street location to 85 State St., the former home of The Sports Bar, a student favorite from its opening in 1993 until its closing last spring.

“We’re going to cater to SUNY students and make them our focus point,” said Fish, 35, of Binghamton. He co-owns the bar with Mick Warren, 28, of Binghamton.

Fish said he expects the liquor license to arrive no later than next week, with a grand opening planned for the night of Friday, Feb. 13. In its present location at 41 Washington St., The Scoreboard caters to an older crowd than most bars on State Street, a primary weekend destination for Binghamton University students.

Fish decided to keep the name of his current establishment in order to expedite the delivery of the liquor license. A transfer in license takes less time than obtaining a new license, he said. Fish applied Dec. 5.

“This is actually quicker than normal; it can run a lot longer these days,” he said.

The Sports Bar, which features two rooms, one primarily for dancing and another designed as a traditional bar, was set to reopen Aug. 1 but did not when manager Kathy DeVoe decided she no longer was interested in managing the establishment. Eventually, the bar’s owners — brothers of DeVoe — elected to lease the property.

Fish’s lease began on Dec. 1. He was searching for a location because his current one, which he also leased, is set to be demolished to make room for a new student housing complex.

Sports Bar’s extended time out of operation, its name change and The Scoreboard’s present reputation as more of a local favorite than a college bar are factors that could slow the new bar’s success, but Fish said he wasn’t worried.

“I actually think people will be pleasantly surprised,” he said. “We’ve cleaned it up pretty well, redid the bathroom, new woodwork. It’s a lot cleaner and a more functional business to top it off. We’ll be running it better.”

Fish pointed out that the bar can still correctly be referred to by the initials “SB,” just as Sports Bar was.

If the liquor license arrives in time, Fish said he may hold a soft opening on a night preceding Feb. 13. If the license arrived today, for example, its doors could open as soon Wednesday.

“I might consider it, just to get it open and get some people in there,” he said. Fish does not have a guarantee the license will arrive in time for Feb. 13.

According to Paul Liggieri, a senior political science major who will serve as The Scoreboard’s head of security at its new location — a position he also held with Sports Bar — the bar will charge a standard cover of $3.

Besides remodeling, Liggieri spoke of improved promotions with fraternities and in-bar amenities, such as lights that would change color to indicate a drink special, as the bar’s selling points. Liggieri said he also hopes to bring in guest DJs from New York City. BU senior Alex Paratore will be a regular DJ.

Chrissy Pasquale, co-owner of The Rathskeller Pub, a longtime competitor of Sports Bar, said she was not worried the revival of Sports Bar would hurt her business, which is at 92 State St.

“The bars have existed on State Street for so many years together,” she said. “We’re going to continue to do what we do.”