Appalachian State bought a new LED video board for its football stadium that Daktronics is calling the largest display among its Group of Five schools.
The Sun Belt Conference school in Boone, N.C., additionally has contracted for Daktronics to install ribbon boards and a custom audio system for Kidd Brewer Stadium. In its basketball venue, Appalachian State is adding a new curved center-hung display from Daktronics. The convex curvature board in the Holmes Center will be one of just three curved boards that the company has installed in a university arena.
Total costs for the football and basketball boards and control rooms are thought to be in the $4 million range.
“We needed to upgrade our production capabilities and do more to enhance our fan engagement capabilities, as well as the audio and video quality,” said Doug Gillin, Appalachian State’s athletic director.
Appalachian State, which averaged 26,153 fans for football in 2016, consulted with Knoxville, Tenn.-based audio-visual firm Anthony James Partners before selecting Daktronics. Corey Williams, a sales representative for Daktronics, ran point for the Brookings, S.D., company.
The LED board in the football stadium, which is expected to be ready for this season, will be 50 feet by 90 feet with room on each side for sponsors. The display will be 37 feet by 67 feet, and at a total of 2,500 square feet, it will be the largest among Daktronics’ installations in the Group of Five, which comprises 60 schools in the American Athletic, Mountain West, Sun Belt, Conference USA and Mid-American conferences.
The school will pay for the boards through fundraising and borrowing.
 |
| Renderings: DAKTRONICS |
