Industry leaders share the trends, challenges and tools shaping how departments operate — and what to look for in a strong campus rec management software partner.
Management software has long been an essential piece of campus recreation for years, keeping track of members, programs and facilities.
But the demands on campus rec departments have grown and so have the expectations placed on the platforms supporting them. Teams today are looking for software that meets them where they’re at and where they’re going, all without overwhelming staff.
Below, industry leaders and sponsors share what campus rec departments are leaning toward when it comes to choosing management software, common challenges facing teams, and the importance of having a strong partner for operating and supervising systems.
From Transactional to Strategic
For CENTERS, a professional management firm specializing in facility and operations management for colleges and universities, 11 of their 12 managed facilities use Rec Automation as their primary software. Each site, however, brings its own operational demands, leading each team to use additional tools where necessary.
“Like many campus rec departments, our software ecosystem has evolved into a combination of core management software, supporting systems and site-specific processes that help meet the needs of each operation,” said Julie Ray, the Systems and Operations Manager for CENTERS.
This layered approach reflects a broader shift many departments are navigating: the move from viewing management systems as a transactional tool to treating them as a strategic operational platform.
Ray — who’s been with CENTERS since 2013 — said her team’s software expectations have continued to grow since modernizing their operational process several years ago.
“We’re looking at it as strategic operational platforms that should support efficiency, data-informed decision-making, member engagement, staff workflows, reporting and long-term planning,” said Ray.
Nina West, a product owner at Fusion, a rec management software, said she’s noticed the same shift firsthand. “Operators are moving away from fragmented systems toward unified platforms that combine scheduling, reservations, staffing and facility operations,” she said. “Modern solutions are designed to centralize data and reduce manual processes, enabling more efficient, real-time decision-making.”
For the Fusion team, centralization is key. When departments juggle multiple disconnected tools — scheduling staff on one platform and tracking hours on another — it creates an operational burden on staff. Over time, this friction can overwhelm teams and slow things down.
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SportReach — an all-in-one sports registration and event management platform — sees the software moving in a more intentionally decentralized direction.
Mark Luckinbill, the co-founder and vice president of SportReach, said students are pushing for dedicated websites for individual intramural and club sports programs — portals that would give each group its own identity while remaining under the department’s control.
“While decentralizing might sound like losing power, it ultimately provides better oversight,” said Luckinbill. “By using modern scheduling and management tools, campus rec staff have administrative control over every single activity. You can see who’s signed waivers and paid dues, along with how many games are scheduled — all without having to do the busy work yourself.”
Meeting Students Where They Are
Regardless of how many platforms a department is working with, one trend carries over: mobile-first access.
Luckinbill explained how students are more likely to register for intramural and club sports programs if registration is accessible from smartphones. When tools are low-cost or free, he said, the accessibility barrier facing students virtually disappears and program promotion gets transformed.
“Instead of the central office carrying the entire marketing burden, the responsibility is shared with the students who are most passionate about their sports,” said Luckinbill. “When a club president has a professional platform to share news and updates, they naturally become the department’s most effective recruiters.”
West echoed the mobile-first trend, noting how teams increasingly expect to manage schedules, receive updates and track operations from anywhere, at any time. But the more significant development may be what’s coming alongside this shift: AI integration moving from an added feature to an essential area of investment.
“The ability to predict staffing and scheduling demand based on historical reservations, facility usage patterns and event calendars is genuinely compelling for operations managers trying to hit targets without over-scheduling,” explained West.
Ray shared this view, describing how she envisions AI helping members and staff get quick answers to common questions and enabling departments to make smarter decisions based on usage patterns. “The opportunity isn’t to replace staff decision-making, but to give teams better information faster,” she said.
Finding the Right Software Partner for Your Team
As departments evaluate their options for management software, the most future-ready teams are asking how the platform will grow with them.
West advised departments to start with an honest audit of their current technology stack, asking how many systems are in play, and if the primary platform is being used to its full potential.
“It’s not just about what your system can do today,” said West. “Understanding the roadmap ensures your platform grows with your operations and reduces reliance on multiple tools over time.”
Ray added how implementation is a people process as much as it’s a technical lift. Data migration, staff training and integrations all require time and coordination. Selecting a vendor that functions as a genuine operational partner and not just a software provider makes the process significantly smoother.
Luckinbill’s advice was to think about who’s actually using the tools day to day. Software that works well for professional staff isn’t always what student workers will engage with. In campus recreation, students drive much of the energy, accountability and participation that keep programs running.
The bottom line is that strong management software is about more than the features. Finding a platform and a partner that understands the specific rhythms of campus recreation, supports the staff doing the work, and can adapt as the industry continues to evolve is essential.
“The future is about building systems that help operations become more proactive,” explained Ray. “Instead of only looking backward at what happened, software should help departments understand what is likely to happen next and how they can plan around it.”
