Introduction

When Wilmington University opened its new athletic complex, the university gained something its soccer and lacrosse programs had never had before: a true home on campus.

The new complex provided a centralized environment for competition, training, team operations, and recruiting. Once construction was complete, the university had an opportunity to give the facility a stronger visual identity and create a more polished experience around the field.

Wilmington University partnered with BIGSIGNS to enhance the new venue with Dura-Mesh™ Printed Vinyl Mesh Athletic Windscreen. Installed along the perimeter fencing, the custom graphics reinforced the university brand, improved the game-day appearance, and helped complete a facility that student-athletes, alumni, recruits, and fans could proudly call home.

The Challenge

Before the new complex opened, Wilmington University’s soccer program played its home matches at an off-campus club field.

Although the field served the program’s basic competition needs, it did not offer the same sense of identity, ownership, or connection that comes with a dedicated campus venue. Coaches had limited opportunities to create a recognizable home-field environment or use the facility as a central part of the recruiting experience.

Prospective student-athletes could visit Wilmington University, meet the coaching staff, and tour the campus, but the soccer program did not have a signature athletic venue that reflected its growth and ambitions.

That changed when the university completed its new sports complex.

The facility included an artificial turf field, locker rooms, athletic offices, and a basketball arena, giving multiple programs a centralized home. However, the perimeter fencing surrounding the soccer and lacrosse field still presented an opportunity.

Without custom branding, the fencing served a practical purpose but did little to communicate Wilmington University’s identity. The athletic department wanted the new complex to feel complete, coordinated, and unmistakably connected to the university.

The goal was not to alter or renovate the newly constructed facility. Instead, Wilmington University needed a professional branding solution that would complement the finished complex and create a stronger visual experience for athletes, fans, alumni, and recruits.

The BIGSIGNS Solution

Wilmington University already had experience working with BIGSIGNS.

Before the new complex opened, BIGSIGNS had helped improve the appearance of the university’s former off-campus field with custom screens. When Wilmington University moved into its new athletic home, the department wanted to continue that relationship and carry the same commitment to professional branding into the new venue.

Head Men’s Soccer Coach Nick Papanicolas explained:

“They dressed up our off-campus field with screens, so when we moved here we wanted to continue that relationship and work with them.”

Working with the university, BIGSIGNS designed and produced custom Dura-Mesh™ Printed Vinyl Mesh Athletic Windscreen for the perimeter fencing around the soccer and lacrosse field.

The printed athletic windscreen transformed the chain-link fence from a purely functional boundary into an extension of Wilmington University’s visual identity. Custom school branding helped connect the field with the rest of the athletic complex while creating a cleaner, more professional backdrop around the competition surface.

Rather than leaving the fence visually unfinished, the Dura-Mesh™ windscreen gave the venue a coordinated appearance that reflected the quality of the university’s expanding athletic programs.

The graphics also helped establish a stronger home-field atmosphere. From recruiting visits and practices to games and alumni events, the branded fencing ensured the university’s identity remained visible throughout the facility.

BIGSIGNS served as Wilmington University’s facility-branding partner. The company enhanced the newly constructed complex with custom graphics but did not build or renovate the athletic facility itself.

Products Used

• Dura-Mesh™ Printed Vinyl Mesh Athletic Windscreen

• Custom Athletic Fence Graphics

• Custom School Logo Graphics

Project Highlights

• New NCAA Division II athletic complex

• Soccer and lacrosse competition field

• Custom Dura-Mesh™ athletic windscreen

• Branded perimeter fencing

• Wilmington University logos and visual identity

• Improved recruiting presentation

• More polished game-day environment

• Continued partnership with BIGSIGNS

• Branding designed to complement a newly constructed facility

• Venue serving multiple university athletic programs

The Results

The completed Dura-Mesh™ Athletic Windscreen helped give Wilmington University’s new field the finished, professional appearance the athletic department wanted.

Instead of looking like an unbranded perimeter barrier, the fence became part of the facility’s overall design. The custom graphics reinforced Wilmington University’s identity, softened the appearance of the chain-link fencing, and helped create a cohesive backdrop around the field.

The transformation was especially valuable during recruiting visits.

Before the complex opened, campus tours did not include a signature home venue for soccer. Coaches could discuss the program’s direction, but prospects could not experience a dedicated field that demonstrated the university’s investment in its student-athletes.

With the new facility and branded athletic windscreen in place, recruiting visits could conclude on the field. Prospective athletes were able to stand inside the venue, see the university’s visual identity throughout the space, and imagine themselves competing there.

Coach Papanicolas described the impact:

“We were just excited to play on it, and we’ve never had a home field before, so it’s great to see the big ‘W’ in the middle. It’s been a great recruiting tool.”

The project also strengthened pride among current student-athletes, coaches, and alumni.

The field gave the soccer and lacrosse programs a recognizable place of their own, while the surrounding branding helped communicate that Wilmington University athletics had entered a new stage of growth.

Although soccer was central to the project, the broader athletic complex supported multiple programs and activities, including lacrosse, basketball, and strength and conditioning. The coordinated branding helped the facility feel like part of one unified athletic department rather than a collection of separate spaces.

The project demonstrates how custom athletic graphics can help complete a newly constructed venue. Strategic branding does not need to change the architecture to make a meaningful difference. By transforming highly visible fencing, Wilmington University created a stronger first impression and a more memorable athletic environment.

Lessons Learned

Include Branding in the Final Stages of Facility Planning

A new field or sports complex may be structurally complete before it feels visually finished.

Planning athletic facility branding during the final stages of construction allows graphics, windscreens, banners, and other elements to be incorporated before the venue opens or shortly afterward.

This helps create a polished appearance from the beginning rather than treating branding as an afterthought.

Turn Functional Fencing Into a Branding Asset

Perimeter fencing is necessary at many athletic fields, but it also represents valuable visual space.

Custom athletic windscreen can improve the appearance of exposed chain-link while displaying school colors, logos, program messaging, and other approved graphics.

Schools should evaluate fencing not only for enclosure and access control, but also for its potential contribution to the overall facility experience.

Design for Every Program Using the Venue

Wilmington University’s field serves both soccer and lacrosse, while the larger complex supports additional athletic programs.

When multiple teams share a facility, branding should reflect the broader institution and avoid creating a space that feels exclusive to only one program unless that is the intended goal.

A university-focused design can strengthen identity while supporting several sports and events.

Consider the Recruiting Journey

Recruiting does not happen in one meeting or one room.

Prospective athletes form impressions as they move through campus, enter the athletic complex, see the field, and imagine where they would practice and compete.

Branding high-visibility areas along that journey can help a facility communicate pride, stability, and commitment to the student-athlete experience.

Build on Successful Vendor Relationships

Wilmington University had already worked with BIGSIGNS at its former off-campus field.

That prior relationship gave the athletic department confidence in the process and helped maintain continuity as the program moved into a new venue.

Schools planning phased improvements may benefit from working with a facility-branding partner that understands their visual identity, expectations, and long-term goals.

Coordinate Graphics With the Facility

The most successful athletic graphics feel integrated into the venue rather than added without a plan.

Color, scale, logo placement, sightlines, fence dimensions, entrances, and surrounding architecture should all be considered before production.

Coordinated design helps the windscreen complement the field and athletic complex while maintaining strong visibility from key viewing areas.

Why Dura-Mesh™ Printed Vinyl Mesh Athletic Windscreen?

Athletic perimeter fencing can become one of the most visible features at a soccer field, lacrosse field, stadium, or sports complex.

Dura-Mesh™ Printed Vinyl Mesh Athletic Windscreen transforms that fencing into a professional branding surface while maintaining the practical advantages of a mesh material.

It can help schools and sports organizations:

• Improve the appearance of exposed chain-link fencing

• Display custom logos, colors, and athletic branding

• Create a stronger home-field identity

• Enhance recruiting visits and campus tours

• Support sponsor recognition opportunities

• Establish a more polished game-day atmosphere

• Coordinate branding across multiple athletic facilities

• Maximize existing perimeter space

• Improve visual consistency without major construction

The mesh construction allows airflow through the material, making it well suited for outdoor athletic environments where solid fence coverings may not be appropriate.

Custom sizing allows the graphics to be planned for the specific fence layout, while full-color printing gives schools the flexibility to create designs that reflect their unique identity.

For Wilmington University, Dura-Mesh™ Athletic Windscreen provided the finishing element the new soccer and lacrosse complex needed. It connected the field to the university brand, improved the recruiting environment, and helped turn the venue into a true home for Rangers athletics.

Why BIGSIGNS?

BIGSIGNS partners with schools, colleges, universities, parks departments, athletic programs, and sports venue operators nationwide to transform facilities through custom graphics.

Each project combines award-winning design, custom manufacturing, premium materials, facility-branding expertise, nationwide experience, collaborative project support, and high-quality customer service.

BIGSIGNS helps customers evaluate their available surfaces, clarify branding goals, and develop coordinated graphics that support recruiting, school pride, fan engagement, sponsor recognition, and long-term facility value.

At Wilmington University, an established relationship and shared understanding of the athletic department’s goals helped BIGSIGNS provide a branding solution that complemented the new complex and strengthened the university’s visual identity.

Ready to Transform Your Athletic Facility?

Whether you are completing a newly constructed sports complex or improving an existing field, your perimeter fencing can become a powerful part of the facility experience.

Request a FREE Mock-Up today and see how Dura-Mesh™ Printed Vinyl Mesh Athletic Windscreen can strengthen your branding, improve recruiting, and give your athletic venue a polished, professional appearance.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Dura-Mesh™ Athletic Windscreen?

Dura-Mesh™ is a printed vinyl mesh athletic windscreen used to add custom branding and visual coverage to perimeter fencing at fields, stadiums, sports complexes, and other outdoor facilities.

Can athletic windscreen include custom school logos?

Yes. Athletic windscreen can be customized with approved school logos, colors, mascots, messaging, sponsor recognition, and other branded design elements.

Is athletic windscreen useful for recruiting?

Yes. Branded fencing can help create a more professional facility environment and improve the impression prospective student-athletes receive during campus and athletic tours.

Can Dura-Mesh™ be used at multisport facilities?

Yes. The design can feature broader school or organizational branding that supports soccer, lacrosse, football, baseball, softball, tennis, and other programs using the venue.

Why should branding be planned before a new facility opens?

Planning early gives administrators time to coordinate graphics with the fence layout, facility architecture, opening schedule, and broader visual identity. This helps the venue feel complete and professionally branded from the start.