How you approach sponsorships will shape the future of your athletic program. Whether you lead a small rural high school or oversee a large district in the heart of the city, local businesses are looking for meaningful ways to support your community. The way you integrate those brands into your game-day experience can influence not only your fundraising success, but the overall culture of your program.
It may feel like a stretch to say advertising impacts athlete development—but when you zoom out, the connection becomes clear. Across the country, schools with strong brand partnerships often see higher school pride, better fan engagement, and greater investment in athletic resources. Sponsorships done well strengthens the entire ecosystem around your teams.
This guide will help you build stronger relationships with sponsors, structure more compelling opportunities, and present packages that elevate your indoor sports experience.
Your Indoor Sponsorship Strategy
For this guide, we’re focusing on indoor facilities—spaces where sponsorship can thrive in unique ways. Indoor sports typically draw smaller but more consistent crowds, creating a reliable environment for building brand recognition and loyalty. Families, students, and dedicated fans return game after game, giving sponsors repeated exposure to a loyal audience.
When you layer in interactive elements, digital displays, and small “game-day moments,” you move beyond traditional signage and create sponsorships that feel dynamic, relevant, and memorable.
Below is one simple way to start elevating your indoor fundraising approach.
1. Ask a Premier Sponsor to Host a Pre-Game Event
Pre-game is one of the easiest and most engaging opportunities to activate a sponsor. It builds excitement, connects fans to your program early, and positions the sponsor as a true community partner.
Here are a few simple examples:
- VIP Fan Giveaway: The first 50 fans in the stands will receive a school-branded t-shirt featuring a small sponsor logo.
- Indoor “Tailgate” Experience: Work with a sponsor to host a pre-game celebration for a rivalry matchup—hot chocolate, music, games, or photo ops.
- Sponsor-Powered Spirit Table: A branded table near the entrance where fans can pick up rally towels, noise makers, or stickers.
These ideas are easy to pitch to sponsors because they offer clear benefits: guaranteed visibility, high engagement, and direct interaction with the community. They also reinforce the sponsor’s role as someone who enhances the fan experience—not just advertises within it.
2. Create a Memorable Half-Time Game
Halftime is one of the best moments to bring a sponsor into the spotlight without disrupting the flow of your event. After your cheer, dance, or band performances, a quick on-court game keeps the crowd energized and gives a sponsor a fun, positive way to engage with fans.
Here are a few easy, high-impact options:
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Blindfolded Cash Prize: Place a cardboard gift card or a branded large “$100 check” somewhere on the court. Blindfold a student and let the crowd guide them—sponsored by a local bank or sporting goods store.
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Half-Court Shot Challenge: Select a student to take their best shot. Add a twist with a foam die that they roll beforehand to determine how many attempts they get.
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30-Second Shootout: A fan attempts a layup, free throw, three-pointer, and half-court shot within 30 seconds for a prize.
All prizes can be provided by the sponsor, making this an easy lift for your program and a memorable activation for their brand.
These kinds of halftime moments are simple to run, fan-friendly, and offer sponsors a natural, high-energy way to connect with your audience—something that’s easy to pitch and even easier for them to say yes to.
3. Player Highlights In and Out of the Venue
Another simple way to extend sponsor visibility is through player highlights—both during the game and online. With ScoreVision, creating, downloading, and sharing these highlights is easy, making them a natural addition to your sponsorship offerings.
You can feature sponsored highlights on your LED scoreboard during halftime, between periods, or during timeouts. Then, keep the momentum going by posting those same clips on social media or sharing them through the ScoreVision Fan App, where fans can follow live scores and play-by-play updates.
This provides sponsors with exposure across the entire game-day experience and beyond—making it a compelling option for partners who want both in-venue visibility and a digital presence that reaches families, alumni, and the broader community.
4. Rotating Ads That Work Throughout the Game
One of the most valuable sponsorship tools inside your gym is your scoreboard. With ScoreVision, you can use designated ad zones to display sponsor content in a clean and intentional way that complements the game—not distracts from it.
ScoreVision allows you to upload static images, motion graphics, or short videos and schedule them to rotate throughout the event. You can decide when and where each ad appears, giving you complete control over how sponsors are showcased.
This flexibility makes it easy to build tiered sponsorship packages. Some sponsors may want the constant visibility of a specific zone, while others prefer the premium attention of dynamic ads displayed during timeouts or in between periods. Either way, you’re able to offer options that match their goals—and price them accordingly.
Who to Approach for Sponsorship
Over the years, ScoreVision has learned a lot from customers about which businesses are most likely to partner with high school programs. The most reliable sponsors tend to be community-focused organizations—businesses that already serve the families who fill your gym each week.
Common industries include:
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Local and regional banks
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Grocery stores
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Real estate agents
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Car dealerships
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Dentists and orthodontists
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Medical clinics and family practices
These businesses value repeat exposure and community goodwill, making them a natural fit for indoor sports sponsorships.
A simple starting point is to identify the top 10 businesses in your area and look for any personal or family ties to your school. Existing relationships almost always lead to faster, more successful partnerships.
How Many Sponsors Should You Have?
The number of sponsors you bring on should align with your annual revenue goals and the amount of inventory available inside your gym. Many schools comfortably support a dozen or more sponsors without overwhelming the fan experience.
ScoreVision offers a helpful inventory spreadsheet that makes planning easier. It evaluates:
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Total number of home games on your software
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Average attendance per game
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Available ad zones on your ScoreVision display
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Recommended ad duration (we suggest six seconds)
From there, it calculates the number of sponsors you can support within each package tier and the projected revenue if all slots are filled.
As a general guideline, aim for a balance between visibility and fan experience. Most high school programs find that an ad serving around 30 times or fewer per game gives sponsors strong exposure without feeling repetitive or intrusive.
Bringing It All Together
Indoor facilities offer some of the most flexible and high-value sponsorship opportunities in your entire athletic department. When you combine engaging halftime moments, pre-game activations, player highlights, and rotating digital ads, you provide local businesses with multiple opertunities to connect with your community—all while generating meaningful support for your athletes.
The key is presenting these opportunities in a clear, organized way that helps sponsors understand exactly what they’re investing in and why it matters. With the right structure, you can turn your gym into a strong revenue generator and create experiences that your fans and athletes will remember.
To help you get started, we’ve put together a simple sponsorship package template you can customize for your program. It includes example tiers, pricing considerations, and space to map out your ad zones and activation ideas.
Download the Sponsorship Package Excel Template and start building a lineup of partners who elevate your game-day experience and strengthen your athletic community.
