Reviews for scoreboard mixed after its debut game

By Jeff Christian
The Collegian

The only bright light in Bulldog Stadium Saturday night was that of the new video scoreboard, but much like Fresno State’s season thus far, the video board sparkled at times and then faded to dark.

The giant 24 foot by 32 foot screen towered over the north end zone and provided an enhanced view for fans sitting in the student section.

“It makes it better for me because I’m too short and I can’t see over people. But I can see the video board,” freshman Jessica Schulte said.

Throughout the night the new board featured live game coverage, game replays, university promotional spots and updated scores from around the country. However, with 3:43 left in the third quarter the screen went dark and fans were relegated to directly watching the action on the field.

The board returned a few plays later, but the screen was separated by two black lines and chopped into three sections.

“From the student section you can actually see replays so if you look away and miss a play you can see the replay,” Fresno State student Joshua Quiambao said.

Although some fans said they were able to see game replays on the big screen, when the Bulldogs needed the board on two key plays that were reviewed by the officials, Fresno State Coach Pat Hill was left in the dark.

“I never saw the replay. We’ve got a replay board. We talk about this big replay board we got, but I never saw a replay on it,” head coach Pat Hill said.

While many fans enjoyed the clearer picture and bigger screen size, some wished that the new board also contained a game scoreboard.

“There should be a scoreboard on there because sometimes the people sitting in the student section can’t see the scoreboard and they have no idea what the score is,” Sophomore Karen Brooks said.

Despite the technical difficulties in the third quarter and complaints over minor details, the new video board is a vast improvement and is sure to enhance the game experience for fans sitting in the student section for the remainder of the season.

“I like that it’s really big and that it faces the student section,” Graduate Student Marisa Galvan said. “It makes the game more exciting and I love it.”

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