How BYU Athletics Increased Gameday Revenues by 50-60%

Overview

BYU Athletics sought a fast, flexible, and reliable self-checkout solution that could handle peak gameday demand while also supporting other sports and campus events. With just seven major football games per season, the team needed a system that could move across venues and deliver measurable ROI.
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Challenge

• Sellout crowds during football games created high-demand surges.
• Limited events, a max of 7 home games per season, meant ROI justification was critical.
• Multiple venues and outdoor conditions introduced logistical and environmental challenges.
• Unique items like the 15-inch Cougar Tail required accurate recognition for fast checkout.
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Solution

• VisioLab iPad-powered kiosks, deployed entirely in-house by BYU’s F&B team with support from student staff.
  
• Seamless integration with existing POS (SkyTab Venue), Shift4 payment processing, and BYU’s internal concessions credit system.
  
• Customer service support available during set up and events for real-time troubleshooting.

How BYU Achieved Revenue Gains & ROI

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1. Strategic Placement of Units

Kiosks were moved after observing fan traffic patterns.

“After the first game, I was like, I got to move this stand because…it was just the nature of our stadium and the people that sit in that area.” ‍

— Andy Jacobsen, BYU’s Concessions General Manager

Impact: VisioLab stands saw a 50–60% increase in sales immediately after placement.
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2. Faster Checkout and Higher Throughput

• Median transaction time of 11 seconds.
  
• 5 transactions per minute per device during peak traffic windows. 

“Our per caps have been going up, the total number of transactions are up too, and it’s just all lining up. There’s a clear increase at the VisioLab locations,”

— Andy Jacobsen

Impact: More transactions processed per hour, directly boosting sales volume.

3. Labor Reallocation

Cashiers were redeployed to support restocking and operations.

“It allowed us to move staff to other areas where they were more needed. We weren’t eliminating roles, just reallocating people to higher-value tasks during peak periods.”

— Andy Jacobsen

Impact: Sustained increase in throughput without increasing labor costs.
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4. Reliable Handling of High-Volume, Unique Items

VisioLab’s AI accurately processed oversized items like the Cougar Tail and large orders, with the largest basket size of 16 items in one checkout..

“He had like 10 water bottles and a Cougar Tail… He tapped, was surprised when it worked immediately, and he used it every single game after that.”

— Andy Jacobsen

Impact: Reduced abandoned transactions and maintained speed during peak demand.

5. Fan Adoption and Repeat Usage

Fans embraced the kiosks repeatedly.

“The comment I hear from customers is, ‘Wow, that’s cool,’" Eric Nord, Business Systems Manager said. “The numbers show it’s not just 'cool'. People appreciate the experience and continue to use VisioLab.”

— Andy Jacobsen

Impact: Increased per-cap revenue and consistent traffic through kiosks.
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6. Data-Driven Optimization

Sales data from VisioHub allowed BYU to analyze performance by hour, minute, and event.

“We use the VisioHub data for sales. We now extract a lot of the data and put it into flowcharts and graphics, like sales by hour and by five-minute increments.”

— Andy Jacobsen

Impact: Informed kiosk placement, staffing, and operational decisions, sustaining revenue gains.
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Results

• Revenue Lift: 50–60% increase in sales at VisioLab stands.
  
• Throughput: Median checkout of 11 seconds; peak 5 transactions per minute per device.
  
• Labor efficiency: Reallocated staff to high-value tasks without increasing headcount.
  
• Fan experience: High adoption, repeat usage, and positive feedback.
  
• Data visibility: Granular sales reporting supported operational refinements.

Conclusion

VisioLab enabled BYU Athletics to turn gameday demand into measurable revenue gains. The combination of fast checkout, flexible deployment, reliable AI recognition, and actionable data allowed BYU to increase sales, reallocate labor efficiently, and deliver a seamless fan experience across venues.

“In a world where everyone thinks they have cool technology that’s going to make a difference, VisioLab stands out because we purchased and received what we were expecting with AI image recognition and the speed of transaction,” Nord said. “The speed was real and the system worked consistently.”