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Football Stadium Gets Huge Upgrade

(Published in The Auburn Plainsman on April 5, 2007)

              Fresh off a $30 million renovation, Jordan-Hare Stadium will have a noticeable difference this season too. In an effort to make everyone’s favorite past time in the fall even better, the Athletics Department will pay Daktronics almost $3 million to install the first true high definition video display in the Southeastern Conference. The second NCAA institution to invest in such a behemoth thing. The Texas Longhorns were the first to do so.

            The South Dakota based company Daktronics, leads the video display market. They have installed video boards, shot clocks and scoreboards all over the country, leaving their mark on Times Square too. Auburn teamed up with them last season to add the two long ProAd® displays on the upper decks. Additional sections will be added to make each of the displays approximately 250 feet each. Other improvements last season included an 18 x 60 scoreboard behind the north end zone, new play clocks, and locker room clocks.

            The video display will be approximately 30-feet high and 74-feet wide, taking full advantage of the latest technology available. It incorporates the absolute best resolution for such a large screen and incredibly wide viewing angles. The screen itself exceeds 2,200 sq. feet, and is populated by over one million individual light emitting diodes (LED’s).

            “We are extremely excited to make this significant enhancement to Jordan-Hare Stadium as a sign of our commitment to the fans, student-athletes, alumni, sponsors and everyone else who enjoys and supports the great tradition of Auburn football,” Athletics Director Jay Jacobs said in a press release. “We wanted to invest in high definition video technology because of the incredible detail of the imagery and the flexibility this technology provides. We are excited to be working with Daktronics because of their extensive experience and proven success with their products for top level collegiate and professional sports venues.”

            There are almost unlimited possibilities for this new video display. Not only will it have the capability to show a single image in spectacular high definition quality, but it can be split into multiple windows to show any kind of statistic, highlight or animation. The high-density pixel layout, improved contrast levels and enhanced angles will be unrivaled by any other stadium in the conference.

            The University of Texas in Austin contacted Daktronics last year after winning the National Championship. When it was all said and done, the Longhorns had paid over $8 million to install the largest full screen video board in the world. It is an astounding 55-feet tall and 134-feet high. The 7,370 square-foot display has been nicknamed the "Godzillatron."

            It probably won’t be long before more schools follow suit, but Auburn can still say they were one of the first to do something like this. The season kicks off on Sept. 1 at home against the Kansas State Wildcats of the Big 12. This screen has to be seen to be believed.