Shylo Evans builds Free State Darts League, uniting Douglas County players

Shylo Evans turned a personal search for darts into a growing social network in Lawrence, one that now draws college students, retirees and everyone in between to neighborhood bars and arcades across Douglas County.

Evans moved to Lawrence from South Dakota about three years ago and said he missed a sport that had been part of everyday life back home. In South Dakota, he said, winter dart leagues drew “hundreds and hundreds” of players. Rather than keep driving to Topeka or Kansas City, he built something local.

That effort became the Free State Darts League, founded in 2025. By the time its latest season wrapped up with a tournament and celebration on April 28 at Empire Pubcade, 925 Iowa St., the league had already finished three seasons and grown to about 60 players. The room at Empire Pubcade, which occupies the former pool-hall space on Iowa Street, was filled with classic rock, friendly banter and the kind of easygoing traffic that makes a bar feel more like a gathering place than a stop for drinks.

The league’s appeal lies partly in its price. Evans said many other dart leagues charge about $10 per person per game, which can add up to $120 to $150 for a season. Free State charges $30 per player for a full season. About $5 of that goes to the digital scoring platform, and the rest helps cover plaques, trophies and other league expenses. Evans said he is trying to build community, not profit.

As the league expanded, it split into two divisions. The A Division, made up of the more skilled players, played all of its matches at Empire Pubcade because the venue had more space. The B Division used several bars around Lawrence, spreading the league’s footprint across the city and making it easier for players to gather close to where they live or work.

Current DartConnect schedules show Free State Darts matches at Empire Pubcade, Red Lyon Tavern, West Coast Saloon and Astro’s Billiards & Bar, a sign that the league has become part of Lawrence’s broader social calendar. Evans said he plans to move matches around more broadly next season so players do not always have to gather in one place.

The league fits into a wider local need for places where people can show up without spending much or needing elite skill. Douglas County’s Senior Resource Center says it offers recreation and social engagement to help older adults reduce isolation, while the county’s Veterans Treatment Court says it works to help veterans build meaningful, productive lives through community support and treatment. Free State Darts lands in that same space: low-pressure, low-cost and open to players from different backgrounds.

Lawrence has seen this before. A 2010 dart league in the city drew 10 teams and 50 to 60 players in two 12-week seasons each spring and fall. Evans’ league appears to be reviving that tradition with a wider age mix and a lower barrier to entry, giving Douglas County another place where a simple bar game can still bring people together.