Refreshing CMU Athletic Facilities with Large-Format Graphics

Situation

Central Michigan University (CMU) wanted to transform the visual experience across its athletic facilities with large-format banners and comprehensive sports venue branding that was weather and fade-resistant . The project encompassed three major CMU athletic venues: the football stadium, soccer stadium, and field hockey stadium, creating an opportunity to establish a more cohesive visual identity across Chippewa athletics.

Each venue presented a different set of branding opportunities and production challenges. From the large-scale environment of the football stadium to the more specialized soccer and field hockey facilities, CMU needed banners that could adapt to different architectural spaces while maintaining a consistent university brand, all while resisting the natural wear and tear of the elements. Additionally, these banners needed to be UV and weather resistant for long-term branding and visual performance.

The goal was to move beyond traditional athletic signage and create immersive sports environments that reinforce Central Michigan University branding throughout the fan experience. Large walls, fences, railings, and other available surfaces could become opportunities to showcase CMU's identity, build school spirit and create a stronger visual connection between the university and its athletic programs.

To execute a project spanning multiple sports facilities, CMU needed an experienced large-format printing and sports branding partner capable of managing everything from graphic production and finishing to on-site installation. The partner needed to understand the unique requirements of collegiate athletic facilities while maintaining consistency across a large volume of custom displays.

Solution

Britten partnered with Central Michigan University to produce and install large-format signs across its football, soccer and field hockey facilities, creating a cohesive visual branding program across CMU athletics.

The project brought large-format printing, environmental design, stadium branding, and professional installation together across multiple athletic venues. Using UV-resistant coating technology, Britten produced custom printed graphics designed specifically for long-term visual performance at each facility, accounting for the size, architecture, surfaces and viewing conditions of each stadium. Because when branding that "pops" is the goal, color fading is not an option. 

At the Central Michigan football stadium, durable print solutions helped establish a stronger visual presence throughout one of CMU's most prominent athletic environments. Expansive branding applications transformed available stadium surfaces into highly visible expressions of Chippewa pride and strengthened the overall game-day atmosphere.

The project continued into CMU soccer, where Britten adapted the university's visual identity to a dedicated soccer environment. Large-format banners were installed throughout the venue to create a more cohesive branded experience for players, fans, recruits and visitors while maintaining visual consistency with the broader CMU athletics program.

At the Central Michigan field hockey stadium, Britten brought the same large-format graphics expertise to another specialized athletic facility. Custom applications helped extend CMU branding throughout the venue while responding to the unique requirements of a field hockey environment.

Across the three facilities, Britten approached the work as a unified sports branding project rather than three unrelated graphics installations. CMU's colors, identity and athletic brand were carried throughout the venues, creating visual continuity while allowing each facility to maintain its individual character.

The project also leveraged Britten's capabilities as a full-service large-format sign provider. By managing production and installation, Britten could maintain consistency across displays produced for different venues and applications. Materials, finishing methods and installation techniques were selected according to the specific requirements of each athletic environment.

This approach allowed Central Michigan University to transform multiple athletic facilities through one coordinated branding program while relying on a partner experienced in stadium printing, collegiate athletics branding and large-format environmental graphics.

Impact

Britten's work helped transform three Central Michigan University athletic facilities—football, soccer and field hockey—into cohesive, highly branded sports environments.

The project gave CMU the ability to use UV-resistant technology to create large-format printed graphics that could be used for more than functional signage. Walls, fences, and other architectural surfaces became opportunities to reinforce the university's identity and create a more immersive experience throughout its athletic venues. 

The warranty around this technology guarantees color fidelity within specification throughout the warranty period, regardless of UV exposure, while ensuring ink adhesion without peeling, cracking, or delamination under normal installation conditions. The warranty also covers the continued effectiveness of its hydrophobic, lotus-effect surface for dirt and mold resistance, along with the composite material’s mechanical integrity, including flex resistance and resistance to cracking and delamination under cyclic loads and weather stress.

For CMU football, large-scale stadium banners contribute to the energy and visual impact of game day. For CMU soccer and field hockey, branded environments help create dedicated home venues that reflect the university's identity and the importance of each athletic program.

Together, the installations create a stronger connection between Central Michigan University, Chippewa athletics, and the fan experience. Consistent branding across multiple facilities helps fans immediately recognize the CMU environment while creating a more memorable experience for students, alumni, athletes, and visitors.

The project also demonstrates what is possible when a university works with an experienced large-format printing partner capable of managing a multi-venue sports branding program. Rather than treating stadium banners as individual print pieces, Britten approached the project as a complete environmental branding initiative by combining large-format printing, custom banners, production, finishing, and installation.

The result is a unified CMU athletics presence spanning football, soccer and field hockey, with large-format displays helping turn each venue into a distinctly Central Michigan University experience.