Memorial Day Weekend 2017 saw the NCAA Lacrosse National Championships for Men’s Divisions I, II, and III, as well as Women’s Division I, descend onto Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. With a seating capacity of over 68,000 and home to the NFL’s New England Patriots and MLS’s New England Revolution, the NCAA was faced with the task of transforming Gillette Stadium into an NCAA branded venue for the weekend’s events. No stranger to event signage and stadium branding, AMI Graphics was up to the task of giving the inside and outside of the stadium a collegiate look and feel for the big event, including print production, signage installation, on-site signage support, and removal.
Vinyl pole banners were used along walkways leading into the venue to help increase excitement for the event as fans entered the stadium. The pole banners added event branding while also serving as a sponsor signage opportunity.
Fans were then greeted by large mesh windscreens covering the entry arch, immediately setting the tone for the importance of the event for the teams and student-athletes.
Due to their versatility and ability to withstand high wind areas, mesh banners were used throughout the stadium to brand blank concrete walls with the NCAA Lacrosse Championships logo as well as inspirational pictures from previous championship victories.
Mesh banners were also used for the field level stadium wrap that encircled the perimeter of the playing surface. A simple and effective way to dress up and add event branding to the wall separating the field from the crowd, the stadium wrap windscreens provide a uniform and professional look to the concrete wall that features intermittent padding and metal boxes housing field level water and power sources. The stadium wrap also contained smaller sections featuring participating team logos that could be easily changed out for each specific game based on division.
To complement the branded windscreens, large wall murals were used on other concrete and cinderblock walls where Gillette Stadium sponsor advertising needed to be covered up due to sponsor category conflicts with the NCAA. Temporary wall graphics were used in these areas which allowed the advertisers to be covered with NCAA event branding for the duration of the event without damaging the graphics underneath upon removal.
Vinyl banners were also used to cover up existing graphics in areas that did not require adhesive graphics or mesh banners.
Inside the locker rooms, players were given the star treatment in the form of lockers branded with NCAA branded decals and personalized nameplates.
Gillette Stadium will be hosting the NCAA Lacrosse Championships again in 2018, and AMI Graphics looks forward to assisting with the signage efforts next year as well. Congratulations to all of the 2017 NCAA Lacrosse National Champions!
