Introduction

In the rapidly evolving world of sports, physical spaces have become strategic assets that can make or break recruitment efforts, fan engagement, and organizational culture. Whether you’re looking to redesign a football locker room, create an immersive fan experience, or develop a comprehensive athletics facility, choosing the right sport design agency can transform your vision into reality.

At Advent, we’ve spent over two decades pioneering the intersection of sports, storytelling, and design. With more than 2,500 projects and partnerships with top athletic brands across professional, collegiate, and amateur sports, we understand that great sport design goes beyond aesthetics—it creates experiences that move people.

What Makes a Sports Design Agency Different?

Not all design agencies understand sports. The unique demands of athletic environments, from the high-performance needs of professional athletes to the recruiting pressures of college programs, require specialized expertise that extends far beyond traditional design thinking.

The Advent Difference: Research-Driven Storytelling

We are a research-driven storytelling agency that specializes in creating experiences for athletic organizations. Our approach is built on three foundational pillars:

1. Audience Insight Through StoryMining

Our proprietary StoryMining process uncovers the authentic stories, values, and emotional touchpoints that define your organization. We conduct in-depth interviews with coaches, athletes, fans, donors, and administrators to understand what makes your program unique.

2. Tech-Forward Design Implementation

Our tech-forward approach sets us apart, not just with flashy features but with meaningful digital experiences. From interactive displays and immersive technologies to smart facility management systems, we integrate technology that enhances rather than overwhelms the athlete and fan experience.

3. Comprehensive Build Capabilities

Unlike agencies that stop at design concepts, we guide you from where you are to where you want to be. Our team evaluates, imagines, designs, engineers, and builds complete solutions, ensuring seamless execution from concept to installation.

Our Sports Design Services

Athletic Facility Design

Football Locker Rooms & Player Spaces We design remarkable football locker rooms that help players feel motivated and perform better, creating custom designs that match each team’s personality while meeting all their practical needs. Our projects span from Boston College’s dramatic makeover that promotes team core values and celebrates the Eagle Football brand to University of Pennsylvania’s thoughtfully designed space that blends rich history while offering modern amenities for today’s student-athletes.

Basketball Programs Our basketball facility work focuses on creating spaces that engage every person and every role on the roster, from the one-and-done star to the role player. Notable projects include UNC’s Jordan Brand Shoe Wall featuring 31 custom Air Jordan sneakers in Tar Heel Blue and University of Texas basketball facilities at the Moody Center designed to redefine their programs as national contenders.

Multi-Sport Facilities We partner with representatives from football, baseball, basketball and volleyball programs to establish facilities that match athletic departments’ ambition to compete with the top programs in college sports, as demonstrated in our comprehensive work at Liberty University.

Professional Sports Venues Our professional sports experience includes major projects like the San Jose Sharks’ 25th anniversary makeover, repositioning their brand not as an expansion upstart, but as an annual contender.

Academic & Student Success Spaces

Student-Athlete Academic Centers We create centers that support athletes’ scholastic pursuits and highlight the tradition of competing both on the field and in the classroom, reflecting what it means to be a complete student-athlete.

Welcome Centers & Recruitment Spaces Our award-winning University of Oregon Student Welcome Center demonstrates how strategic design drives enrollment decisions, creating experiences that transform prospective students into committed applicants.

Digital Experience & Technology Integration

Interactive Installations Our digital experience work spans from welcome centers to fundraising activation events, incorporating technology that enhances storytelling rather than replacing authentic connection.

Social Media Moments We design spaces specifically to generate organic social media content, understanding that today’s athletes and fans expect Instagram-worthy moments throughout their facility experience.

Brand Development & Consistency

Brand Experience Guides Our design approach expands traditional brand guidelines to capture the essence of your organization’s values and identity in the built space, ensuring every element aligns with your brand story. Our University of Texas Athletics Brand Experience Style Guide resulted in cohesive branding across all varsity sports by detailing consistent use of logos, typefaces, and mascots.

Visual Storytelling Systems We create comprehensive visual storytelling systems that work across all touchpoints, from locker room graphics to donor recognition walls to recruitment materials.

Project Management & Installation

End-to-End Execution By working closely with our engineers, designers, and vetted vendors, we deliver high-quality solutions that exceed client expectations through weekly touch-base meetings, prototype reviews, and timeline checks.

Ongoing Updates & Maintenance Our updates department ensures that your designs stay relevant, collaborating with clients to identify which elements need seasonal or yearly refreshes.

Our Process: From Vision to Reality

Phase 1: StoryMining & Discovery

We begin every project with comprehensive StoryMining interviews across your organization. This isn’t just about understanding what you want, it’s about uncovering the authentic stories that will resonate with your audiences.

Phase 2: Strategic Design Development

Using insights from StoryMining, we develop design concepts that authentically represent your organization’s values while meeting practical needs for performance, recruitment, and operations.

Phase 3: Technology Integration Planning

We identify opportunities to enhance your story through meaningful technology integration, from interactive displays to facility management systems.

Phase 4: Fabrication & Installation

Our in-house project management team coordinates all aspects of fabrication and installation, ensuring quality control and timeline adherence.

Phase 5: Launch & Ongoing Support

We provide comprehensive support through launch and beyond, including staff training, performance monitoring, and planned updates.

Why Athletic Organizations Choose Advent

Proven Track Record

With over 2,500 completed projects across professional sports, NCAA Division I programs, and emerging athletic organizations, we have the experience to handle projects of any scale and complexity.

Research-Backed Approach

Our partnerships with academic institutions like Samford University have produced groundbreaking research on how physical spaces influence athlete and student decision-making, informing our design strategies with data rather than assumptions.

Award-Winning Results

Our work has been recognized by industry organizations including the Society for Experiential Graphic Design (SEGD) and American School & University, validating our approach to creating exceptional athletic experiences.

Comprehensive Capabilities

From initial concept through ongoing maintenance, we provide complete design and build services, eliminating the coordination challenges that come with managing multiple vendors.

Case Studies: Transforming Athletic Programs

TCU Football: Building Championship Culture

Our TCU Football locker room project shows how we create custom designs that match each team’s personality while meeting all their practical needs, with a cohesive brand identity and design language that carries throughout other spaces at TCU.

University of Texas: Redefining Excellence

Our comprehensive work at UT spans multiple sports and facilities, creating spaces that exemplify the importance of a well-rounded student experience for student-athletes while reinforcing to recruits that Longhorns strive for excellence on every front.

Professional Sports Innovation

Our work with the San Jose Sharks demonstrates how we help professional organizations celebrate their unique brand and striking visual identity while repositioning their brand for continued success.

The Future of Sports Design

The athletic facility design landscape is evolving rapidly, driven by changing athlete expectations, technological possibilities, and increased competition for top talent. Key trends shaping the future include:

Personalized Athlete Experiences

Facilities increasingly incorporate technology that personalizes the experience for individual athletes, from customized locker displays to performance tracking integration.

Multi-Generational Design

Modern facilities must appeal to diverse audiences, from traditional alumni donors to social media-savvy recruits, requiring design approaches that resonate across generations.

Sustainability & Wellness

Environmental consciousness and athlete wellness are becoming central to facility design, with natural lighting, air quality management, and sustainable materials becoming standard expectations.

Revenue Generation Opportunities

Athletic facilities increasingly serve dual purposes, hosting events and generating revenue through facility rentals, corporate partnerships, and community engagement programs.

Selecting the Right Sport Design Agency

When evaluating sport design agencies, consider these critical factors:

Athletic Expertise

Does the agency have extensive experience with athletic organizations? Generic design agencies often struggle with the unique requirements of sports facilities.

Research Capabilities

Can the agency provide data-driven insights about what motivates athletes, recruits, and fans? Design decisions should be based on research, not assumptions.

Technology Integration

Does the agency understand how to meaningfully integrate technology without overwhelming the human experience?

Project Management

Can the agency manage complex projects involving multiple stakeholders, tight timelines, and specialized requirements?

Long-Term Partnership

Will the agency provide ongoing support for updates, maintenance, and facility evolution?

Are You Ready to Create Experiences That Move People?

In the competitive world of athletics, facilities have become strategic differentiators that influence recruitment, performance, fan engagement, and organizational culture. The right sport design agency doesn’t just create beautiful spaces, they create experiences that move people.

At Advent, we believe that authentic storytelling combined with strategic design creates the most powerful athletic experiences. Through our research-driven StoryMining process, comprehensive service capabilities, and proven track record across professional and collegiate sports, we help athletic organizations transform their vision into reality.

Whether you’re redesigning a single locker room or developing a comprehensive athletics complex, the key is finding a design partner who understands that great sport design starts with great stories. When those stories come alive through thoughtful design and meaningful technology, the result is facilities that don’t just house athletes: they inspire champions.

Ready to transform your athletic facilities? Our team of sport design experts is ready to help you uncover your organization’s unique story and create experiences that move people. Contact us to begin your StoryMining journey and discover how research-driven design can elevate your program.