Breaking Down Silos: Rethinking Commerce and Access in College Athletics

Athletics departments have long been a point of pride—and pressure—for higher education institutions. Whether it’s managing major events, operating high-traffic facilities or serving thousands of students and fans, college and university athletics is a business operation in its own right. Yet behind the scenes, many of these departments are still relying on a patchwork of disconnected systems to manage payments, ticketing, access, reporting and more.

That fragmented approach may have worked in the past, but it no longer supports the level of efficiency, accountability and experience today’s programs require.

The silo problem in college athletics

From stadium access and concessions to facility rentals and summer sports camps, most athletic departments manage dozens of commerce and access points. Too often, each area is handled by a different system—one for ticket sales, another for point-of-sale, a third for facility scheduling and yet another for ID card access.

The result?

• Inconsistent fan and student experiences
• Time-consuming manual reconciliation
• Limited visibility into revenue and usage trends
• Higher operating costs and administrative burden

While campuswide IT systems have evolved to offer more integration and centralized control, athletics often remains a digital island—largely because it has historically operated with separate budgets, vendors and leadership structures.

Athletics as an enterprise: A shift in expectations

At the same time, expectations are rising. Athletic departments are being asked to generate more revenue, operate more efficiently, and deliver modern digital experiences. That includes everything from mobile payments and secure facility access to online storefronts and streamlined event management.

As these departments mature into complex, multifaceted operations one thing is becoming clear. They need the same kind of scalable, integrated technology infrastructure that supports other areas of campus life.

A unified platform approach

Forward-thinking institutions are beginning to rethink how they manage commerce and access across athletics. By adopting a unified platform—one that connects payments, campus ID access, ecommerce and reporting—they’re able to:

• Eliminate redundant systems
• Simplify financial tracking, reconciliation and reporting
• Offer seamless experiences across in-person and digital environments
• Ensure consistency and security across all transactions

Instead of managing access and payments separately for every team, facility and event, these institutions are bringing operations under one roof—much like they have with their main campus infrastructure.

Connecting athletics to the broader campus ecosystem

One of the key benefits of a campuswide solution is that it doesn't stop at athletics. When access and commerce systems are integrated with the broader institutional ecosystem, everything from accounting to student engagement becomes easier to manage. Athletic departments can tap into shared reporting tools, merchants and service providers, and ID-based permissions already in use across campus, reducing both cost and complexity.

And for the students and visitors interacting with these systems—whether buying tickets, renting a facility, or using their student ID to get into the rec center—the experience feels unified, connected and intuitive.

The next play for higher ed athletics

Athletic departments aren’t just playing games—they’re running enterprises. To meet the growing demands of students, fans, leadership and financial stakeholders, they need to modernize the way they manage commerce and access.

Breaking down the digital silos and investing in connected infrastructure isn’t just an IT decision, it’s a strategic one. And for institutions ready to move forward, the right technology partner can help turn athletic operations into a streamlined, scalable success story.

TouchNet helps colleges and universities streamline operations across campus, including athletic departments, through connected commerce and access solutions. With tools like Marketplace for ecommerce and point-of-sale, access to a network of more than 250 certified partners, and OneCard for secure access control, institutions can modernize athletic facilities and simplify payment processing. Deliver better experiences for students, staff and fans, today!

Ready to learn how TouchNet can support your athletics department? Learn more about TouchNet Athletics.