Joining the state of the art

By Jeff Christian
The Collegian

The Fresno State football team has not only challenged the top programs in the nation on the field but now it is also seeking to oust them in stadium features as well.

Construction broke ground three weeks ago to complete a new state of the art LED video scoreboard for Bulldog Stadium. The 24 foot by 32 foot screen, located at the north end of the stadium, is twice the size of the former 16 foot by 20 foot screen and will be one of the largest video boards on the west coast at the collegiate level.

The new video scoreboard consists of three main components: digital advertising panels, the video wall and the electronic scoreboard itself. The athletic department anticipates that the new addition to the stadium will not only increase advertising revenue but will also increase fan enjoyment at Bulldog Stadium.

“Because of the new technology in the video screen, there will be no difference for fans watching, whether the game is during the day or at night,” Fresno State Associate Athletic Director Paul Ladwig said.

The new video scoreboard will feature: starting lineups, live game video, instant replay, brand new animations, university institutional spots, athletic commercial spots and all of the other things that Fresno State fans have become accustomed to get themselves pumped up while at the stadium.

“We have a whole new slew of animations and graphics this season so fans won’t see any repeated graphics from last season,” Ladwig said.

A new marquee board on the corner of Barstow and Cedar avenues across from the Bulldog Shop will feature game reminders, university messaging, player of the week information and video clip highlights from previous games.

“It will be a daily marketing tool to promote and enhance not only the marketing department but the University as well,” Ladwig said.

Although there is a lot of excitement surrounding the new technology and renovation in the stadium, Bulldog fans will have to wait until the third home game of the season to enjoy them.

The new video scoreboard isn’t scheduled to be completed until Sept. 30, when the Bulldogs football team hosts Colorado State. Despite the hope of completion prior to the first home game, final plans for the project weren’t ready until after it was too late to reach a season opening completion.

“When we were in the conceptual stage with Daktronics, it took us a little longer to get all of our ducks in row and by the time we had signed the contracts it had set us back a little bit,” Ladwig said.

The athletic department has arranged for a temporary video screen— with the same dimensions as the old screen but with a better picture quality— to be used during the first two home games. Although construction won’t be completed until the third home game, the gameday experience won’t be disrupted for fans.

“Everything in the construction zone will be pulled out, removed and the area will be cleaned before the game so that there will be no hindrance to our fans,” Ladwig said.

The electric scoreboard company Daktronics was used for the video screens due to their prestigious reputation and prominence in video boards at both the collegiate and professional level. In fact, Daktronics video screens have also been used at the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Florida.

“They are the best company in the business. I’ve worked with them in the past at another institution and Learfield Communications has a long-standing relationship as well,” Ladwig said.

The old scoreboard on the south end of the stadium was also retrofitted and doused with a fresh coat of blue paint to match the new scoreboard and stadium color scheme.

“We want to be able to have our athletic fields be consistent. We liked the look of the blue scoreboards at Beiden Field and we wanted to keep it uniform throughout,” Ladwig said.

Ladwig also said that the blue paint color will be featured on all future scoreboard structures as well.

The project was conceptually carried out by Learfield Communications, a company that links Fresno State athletics with its sponsors.

“Learfield Communications enables us to pay for the video project through advertising revenues,” Ladwig said.

The technological renovations mark the beginning of a new and exciting era and gameday experience for Fresno State fans.

“I think it is going to make our stadium much more symmetrical and having the new technology and animations will let people enjoy the experience more,” Ladwig said. “Also, having the bigger than life images allows fans the opportunity to see it on the wall if they can’t see it on the field.”

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