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What Are Custom Pennants and When Should I Use Them?

Learn how pennants celebrate team spirit, school pride, and athletic achievement

Custom pennants are triangular felt or fabric banners featuring team names, logos, mascots, and colors, traditionally used to celebrate team spirit, school pride, and athletic achievement. They're perfect for team gifts, locker room decoration, booster club fundraising, and creating lasting memories of championship seasons.

What Exactly is a Pennant?

Pennants are triangular flags typically measuring 9"x24" to 12"x30", though smaller and larger sizes exist. The classic design features a team name, mascot, or school name prominently displayed across the face, often with additional details like year, league, or championship titles. Made from felt, wool, or polyester fabric, pennants have been a staple of American sports culture since the early 1900s.

Unlike trophies that recognize individual achievement, pennants celebrate collective team identity and pride. They're meant to be displayed, collected, and treasured as tangible reminders of team membership and shared experiences.

When Should I Use Custom Pennants?

Championship seasons: Commemorate league championships, tournament victories, or undefeated seasons with custom pennants featuring the year and achievement. These become treasured keepsakes players display for decades.

End-of-season team gifts: Many coaches give each player a pennant alongside or instead of trophies, particularly for older youth teams (12+) and high school teams. Pennants cost less than trophies while providing meaningful recognition that decorates bedrooms and dorm rooms for years.

School spirit and pride: Schools order pennants for athletic programs, band, cheer squads, and academic teams. They're displayed in hallways, classrooms, gyms, and sold at games to build community pride.

College recruiting and signing day: High school teams create pennants commemorating players' college commitments, often displayed at signing day ceremonies.

Historical markers: Pennants document team history. Athletic programs display pennants from past championship seasons in trophy cases and on gym walls, creating visual timelines of success.

Pennants as Fundraising Tools

Booster clubs and parent organizations successfully use custom pennants for fundraising. Teams order bulk quantities (250-500+) featuring school or team branding, then sell them at games, tournaments, and school events. With per-unit costs as low as $3-6 for bulk orders and retail prices of $10-20, pennants provide healthy profit margins while building school spirit.

Fundraising strategies include: selling at home games and tournaments, offering as incentive gifts for donation levels (donate $50, receive pennant), creating exclusive "championship edition" pennants for special seasons, bundling with other spirit items (pennant + t-shirt + keychain), and targeting alumni and community members for nostalgic purchases.

Where Are Pennants Displayed?

Players typically hang pennants on bedroom walls, above desks, or in dorm rooms. Schools mount pennants in hallways, athletic offices, gyms, and locker rooms. Athletic facilities often create pennant walls showcasing decades of teams. Families frame special championship pennants for permanent display.

Expert Tip

Pennants work especially well for middle school and high school teams where players have moved past the trophy phase but still want meaningful recognition. A well-designed pennant creates the same emotional impact as a trophy at a fraction of the cost, allowing teams to invest savings in better equipment, travel, or additional spirit items. For championship seasons, consider offering both: a trophy for the achievement and a pennant for team identity.