Mr. Splash signs multi-year deal with Wisconsin Athletics

Mr. Splash Car Wash, an eight-site express operator based in southern Wisconsin, has entered a multi-year sponsorship agreement with Badger Sports Properties to become a partner of Wisconsin Athletics. The deal positions the locally owned chain alongside University of Wisconsin sports as it works to stand out in a market increasingly crowded with national brands.

According to reporting from Car Wash Business Center, the agreement includes name, image and likeness (NIL) opportunities with Badgers student-athletes, in-game brand presence at Wisconsin events throughout the academic year, and a digital video series featuring university athletes.

What the partnership includes

The centerpiece of the activation is a series of UW Takeover Days, during which Badgers student-athletes will appear at Mr. Splash locations to meet customers. The first takeover is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 8, at the company's East Washington Avenue location in Madison, with further details to be posted on the company website in the days ahead.

Mr. Splash opened that East Washington Avenue site this year, its second in Madison and eighth across southern Wisconsin, with locations spanning Madison, Sun Prairie, Stoughton, Janesville and Beloit. The chain offers tiered wash pricing, an unlimited monthly membership valid at all eight sites, and free vacuums and prep stations at every location.

CEO Jeff Joos framed the deal as a competitive strategy rooted in local identity. "Wisconsin is home for us," he said, adding that the company competes against national chains by being part of the community. Wisconsin Athletics joins an existing roster of Mr. Splash community tie-ins that includes the Madison Mallards and Night Mares, the Beloit Sky Carp, and YMCA youth sports.

A local-first positioning play

The sponsorship reflects a deliberate effort to pair physical growth with visible community investment. Mr. Splash, which was acquired by Argosy Private Equity in early 2025, has expanded its footprint while building out partnerships intended to keep its brand tied to local institutions rather than competing purely on price or convenience.

Joos emphasized that staff at each site live in the communities they serve, and said the company wants fans and families to encounter the brand at games, at the rink, and in their neighborhoods. The messaging centers on the idea that supporting the local operator means supporting the region.

Why it matters for operators

For independent and regional operators facing an influx of well-funded national chains, Mr. Splash's approach offers a concrete model for differentiation. Price, membership structure, and wash quality are increasingly table stakes, and larger competitors can often match or undercut on all three. Community visibility is harder to replicate quickly because it depends on local relationships and sustained presence.

Sports sponsorships and NIL deals carry real costs and require active management to generate value, so operators should weigh whether the audience aligns with their trade area and whether activations like on-site athlete appearances actually drive foot traffic and membership conversions. The in-person takeover days are notable because they turn a sponsorship into a reason to visit a specific location on a specific day, which is measurable in a way that passive signage is not.

Operators considering similar moves should treat local partnerships as a marketing channel with tracked outcomes rather than goodwill alone. Tying events to a named location, as Mr. Splash is doing with its newest site, lets owners connect sponsorship spend to traffic at the locations that most need the lift.