For athletic directors and coaches, the "season before the season" is often the most stressful. You know the drill: chasing down jersey sizes, managing physical order forms, collecting wrinkled checks, and manually tracking spreadsheets to ensure everyone gets their gear on time.

The move toward online custom team stores was supposed to solve these logistical headaches. However, many schools now find themselves trapped between platforms that offer limited brand selections, low-quality printing, or rigid fundraising structures that don't actually benefit the program.

Choosing the right partner for your school’s apparel and equipment is about more than just finding a website; it’s about streamlining your entire program management. In this guide, we’ll compare the top options and show you how to evaluate a platform based on what actually matters to your coaches, parents, and athletes.

Key takeaways

• Judge a team store platform on four things. Product range (equipment as well as apparel), brand selection, fundraising margin control, and fulfillment reliability. The look of the website matters least.
• Margin control is where the money is. Being able to set your own markup, item by item, is the difference between a $200 check and a $2,000 check for the program.
• BSN Sports runs a campaign model. Stores are typically open for a week or two, so a student who joins the roster late can miss the window entirely.
• SquadLocker is always-on but apparel-focused. No order windows and direct-to-home shipping, with limited flexibility on fundraising margins and less depth in specialized sports equipment.
• ST1 Sports pairs bulk equipment with custom apparel in one store. Balls, cones and bags sit alongside sublimated uniforms, and the school keeps 100% control of its fundraising margins.
• ST1 Sports carries Nike, Adidas and Under Armour apparel. No footwear from those brands; the footwear ST1 Sports carries comes from Mizuno, New Balance, Marucci and iSlide.

The 4 Non-Negotiables for School Team Stores

Before looking at specific providers, you need a framework for evaluation. Most schools make the mistake of looking only at the "look" of the website. To ensure a smooth process from start to finish, evaluate these four criteria:

1. Product Range: Equipment vs. Apparel

Most online stores specialize in "on-demand" t-shirts and hoodies. But a comprehensive athletic program needs more than just spirit wear. You need game-day uniforms, practice jerseys, and bulk equipment like balls, bags, and training aids.

• The Problem: Many stores leave you sourcing equipment from one vendor and apparel from another, doubling your administrative workload.
• The Solution: Look for a partner that pairs bulk equipment pricing with on-demand custom gear rather than forcing you to choose one or the other.

2. Trusted Brand Selection

Athletes and parents want brands they recognize, Nike, Adidas, Under Armour, and high-performance sublimated options. If a platform only offers "no-name" basics, your participation rates and fundraising totals will drop. Professional-grade gear builds team identity and player confidence.

3. Fundraising and Margin Control

Every team store should be a revenue generator. However, many "easy" platforms take a massive cut of the profits or offer a fixed, low-percentage "cash back" model.

• The Comparison: Does the platform allow you to set your own markups? Can you decide which items contribute to the fundraiser? Total control over your margins is the difference between a $200 check and a $2,000 check for your program.

4. Fulfillment Reliability

A "stress-free" solution isn't helpful if the gear arrives three weeks after the first game. You need clear timelines, dedicated support, and a proven track record of reliable fulfillment.

Comparing the Giants: BSN Sports vs. SquadLocker vs. ST1 Sports

BSN Sports (My Team Shop)

BSN is the largest player in the space. They offer a massive brand selection and a dedicated sales representative model.

• Pros: Access to almost every major brand; local reps for face-to-face meetings.
• Cons: Often uses a "campaign" model where the store is only open for a week or two. If a student joins the team late, they might be out of luck. The process can also feel less "self-service" and more reliant on a rep’s schedule.

SquadLocker

SquadLocker pioneered the "always-on" store model, focusing on ease of use and individual shipping.

• Pros: No order windows; gear ships directly to parents’ homes; easy to set up.
• Cons: Limited flexibility in fundraising margins and a heavy focus on apparel over specialized sports equipment. Some schools find the "hands-off" approach means less personalized service when issues arise. You can read a more detailed breakdown in our ST1 Sports vs. SquadLocker comparison.

ST1 Sports

ST1 Sports positions itself as the dedicated partner for schools that want the convenience of an online store with the customized service of a specialty vendor.

• Pros: Combines bulk equipment (balls, cones, bags) with custom apparel; gives schools 100% control over fundraising margins; features trusted brands and high-end sublimated uniforms.
• Cons: Smaller than BSN, but offers more personalized program management.

Why the "All-in-One" Model is the Modern Choice

The biggest logistical pain point for athletic directors is fragmented ordering. Buying basketballs from a catalog, jerseys from a local printer, and fan hoodies from an online store is a recipe for errors and wasted time.

At ST1 Sports, we’ve streamlined this into a single, straightforward experience. By acting as a knowledgeable partner rather than just a vendor, we manage the complexities of your program so you can focus on the athletes.

The ST1 Advantage Includes:

• Custom Team Stores: Launch a dedicated store for your school or club in minutes. No more paper forms.
• Bulk Pricing: Access wholesale rates on the equipment your program needs to function, from practice balls to Gatorade jugs.
• Full-Service Management: We don't just host your store; we help you outfit your team with the right gear at the right price point.

Choosing the Right Fit: A Quick Decision Matrix

Frequently asked questions

What should a school look for in a custom team store platform?

Four things: whether the catalog covers hard equipment as well as apparel, whether the brands are ones athletes and parents recognize, whether your program controls the fundraising markup, and whether fulfillment is reliable enough that gear arrives before the first game. A platform that only handles spirit wear leaves you managing a second vendor for balls, bags and training aids, which doubles the administrative work the store was supposed to remove.

What is the difference between BSN Sports, SquadLocker and ST1 Sports team stores?

BSN Sports is the largest, with local reps and near-universal brand access, but it usually runs a campaign model where the store is open only a week or two. SquadLocker is always-on with direct-to-home shipping and easy setup, but is apparel-focused with limited flexibility on fundraising margins. ST1 Sports combines bulk equipment with custom apparel in a single store and gives the school full control of its markup, with more personalized management than a self-service platform.

Can our school set its own fundraising markup on team store items?

With ST1 Sports, yes: the school controls 100% of the margin and decides which items contribute to the fundraiser and by how much. Many platforms instead apply a fixed, low-percentage cash-back rate across the whole catalog, which is why two schools with similar sales volumes can end up with very different checks.

How does the school actually receive the money the store raises?

Payouts go to the program daily by direct Stripe ACH deposit, or monthly by check, whichever the program prefers. The margin is built into the item pricing before the store opens, so nothing needs to be tallied by hand or reimbursed after the fact.

What happens if a player joins the team after the store closes?

This is the main weakness of the campaign model, where a store open for a week or two leaves a late roster addition with no way to order. Ask any prospective vendor how they handle late additions before you sign on. With ST1 Sports, the ordering window is set with your rep, so raise a late addition with them rather than assuming the order is closed.

Can a team store sell equipment, or only apparel?

It depends on the platform. Most are apparel decorators and stop at t-shirts and hoodies. An ST1 Sports store can carry bulk equipment such as balls, cones, bags and training aids alongside game uniforms, practice gear and spirit wear, which means basketballs, jerseys and fan hoodies stop coming from three different vendors.

Does ST1 Sports sell Nike, Adidas or Under Armour shoes?

No. ST1 Sports carries Nike, Adidas and Under Armour apparel only, with no footwear from those brands and no football cleats at all. The footwear ST1 Sports does carry comes from Mizuno, New Balance, Marucci and iSlide. Decoration options also vary by manufacturer, so confirm which apparel lines allow custom branding before finalizing a store lineup.

What logo file do we need to launch a school team store?

All file types are accepted. If the logo you have is a low-resolution image or a format that will not hold up in embroidery or sublimation, the ST1 Sports team will work with you to rebuild it into usable artwork before the store goes live.

How to Get Started

If you're ready to say goodbye to the chaos of manual ordering and want a partner that understands the unique needs of school athletics, it's time to launch your custom store.

1. Define Your Needs: Do you need just fan gear, or full uniforms and equipment?
2. Select Your Brands: Choose from top-tier performance fabrics and trusted equipment brands.
3. Set Your Margins: Decide how much your program wants to raise per item.
4. Launch: Share the link and let your parents and athletes order directly.

At ST1 Sports, we are dedicated to providing a seamless experience from the first quote to the final delivery. Don't settle for a platform that only solves half of your problems.

Ready to streamline your season? Contact us today to get a custom quote or launch your school's dedicated team store.