Sports Team Caskets: Themed Options, Costs and Rules

A sports-themed casket carries a team's colors, logo or sport imagery, through printing, a wrap, paint or a custom interior. You can also get the same feeling by draping a team flag over a plain casket. You can buy one from any seller and the funeral home must accept it. Team names and logos are usually trademarked, so ask whether a design is licensed, and check cremation and cemetery rules before you order.

What does a sports-themed casket look like?

There is no standard design. Families usually mix a few of these:

• Printed, wrapped or painted exterior. Team colors, a stadium scene, a jersey number or a sport's imagery. See picture caskets for printed-image designs.
• Custom interior. A lining or pillow in team colors.
• A flag or blanket on a plain casket. The FCA suggests dressing a plain container with a cloth, a quilt or a flag, which is the lowest-cost route.
• Team-colored flowers and keepsakes. A memorial table with photos, tickets or a cap.

For more ways to personalize, see specialty caskets and casket customization. If cremation is planned, a hobby-themed urn can carry the same idea.

How much does a sports-themed casket cost?

There is no reliable national price. The Funeral Consumers Alliance (FCA) reports that the average casket costs about $2,000 to $5,000, with simple cloth-covered wood near $1,000 and deluxe bronze over $30,000. Those come from brochures revised in 2020, so current prices are likely higher. A custom design generally costs more than a stock model of the same material.

Ask the seller for a written quote showing the base casket, the artwork, delivery and any deposit. Compare it with the funeral home's casket price list, which you are entitled to see before you see the caskets.

Can you use a team logo?

Team names and logos are typically trademarks. The US Patent and Trademark Office defines a trademark as any word, phrase, symbol or design that identifies goods or services. Some sellers offer team-inspired colors in place of official logos, so ask which you are getting.

What to ask:

1. Is this artwork officially licensed, or is it a team-inspired design?
2. Who holds the license, and can you confirm it in writing?
3. Can you show me a proof before you print?

This is general information, not legal advice. If a seller is unclear about licensing, a team-colors design is the simpler route.

What to check before you order

1. Burial or cremation. The Cremation Association of North America (CANA) says you may use a cardboard or particle board container, rental casket, wooden casket or polished casket for cremation provided it is combustible and non-toxic, and that metal caskets cannot be cremated. Ask the crematory about wraps, paints and items placed inside.
2. Cemetery rules. The FTC says state law does not require an outer burial container, but many cemeteries do. Ask what the cemetery requires.
3. Size. Confirm the interior size with the funeral director. See the casket sizing guide.
4. Delivery. Custom work takes time. Get a delivery date in writing and ask the funeral home to confirm it will be there.
5. Viewing. If you want a themed casket for a service before cremation, some funeral homes rent a casket, but you would need to ask whether a team design is available. See rental caskets.

How to build the rest of the tribute

The casket is one part. Families often carry the theme into the service with team colors in the flowers, a team song, photos from games, or guests wearing a jersey or team color if the family invites them to. Ask the funeral director or officiant what the venue allows. Our guides to celebrations of life, funeral music and what to wear to a funeral can help, and so can photo displays and a memory table.

If you are planning ahead

If you are the fan, say so in writing. Write down the casket or container you want, the team colors or songs, and who should know. Tell your family, because a wish that is not known cannot be followed. See telling your family your funeral wishes.

What to do next

1. Decide whether the plan is burial or cremation, and ask the cemetery or crematory what it accepts.
2. Get the funeral home's casket price list, and one or two quotes from outside sellers.
3. Ask any seller about licensing, a proof and a written delivery date.
4. Choose the simple options too: a team flag or blanket, flowers and photos cost far less than a custom casket.