Coca-Cola contract brings new scoreboards to Aggie athletic venues
Fans will have a new view this year when attending Utah State sporting events in the Spectrum.
A new scoreboard, which will provide scores, statistics, replays and live images, was installed over center-court Sunday.
The scoreboard, along with two scoreboards previously installed at Chuck and Gloria Bell Soccer Field and LaRee and LeGrand Johnson Softball Field, was paid for exclusively with money generated from a contract with Coca-Cola, said Kevin Dustin, associate athletic director for External Operations.
“It’s a great deal for the students,” he said. “They’re going to come in and it’s going to be a whole different arena.”
Four video screens, four digital multi-use message screens on the corners and displays for score and time make up the new scoreboard. A 360 degree wrap-around display for advertising will also be added to the bottom.
The multi-use screens can be used for anything regarding scoring and statistics, but will also display messages, graphics, and scores from other games, Dustin said.
“We can use them for as many things as we can create in our minds because they are all digital,” he said.
Hustle boards displaying rebounds, blocked shots and other statistics will also be added next to the old scoreboards.
“They’re also going to add a dimension to the entertainment,” he said. “The whole point of the scoreboard is to help fans have a better entertainment experience and be more informed.”
While the multi-use screens provide updates and statistics, the video screens will have replays and live action from the game.
During halftime and before the game, the video screens will carry highlights, advertisements and messages.
The screens will also be beneficial during introductions to show player pictures and profiles, said women’s volleyball Head Coach Burt Fuller.
Men’s and women’s basketball, women’s volleyball and gymnastics will be the primary use of the scoreboard, but it will also be used during graduation, concerts and other events.
“It’s modernizing our gym,” Fuller said. “There is a lot of ways to dress up a gym and that is probably an area we were behind on. I think this is going to put us ahead of every other school in our conference.”
The old scoreboards were originally going to be removed, but if they work with the new system they will be retained, Dustin said.
“They’ll be another place to give information, another place for fans to look and see the score and time,” he said.
In addition to the scoreboard, the Spectrum ceiling was reinforced and a new sound system and new lighting were installed.
No jobs will be created in the Athletics department, but the board, operated by students through technical services, will take approximately eight people to run, Dustin said.
The new scoreboard will make its functioning debut Oct. 8 when the volleyball team hosts BYU.
“We’re going to have the first unveiling for our BYU match and once it gets going, it’s going to be a great thing for sports here at the university,” Fuller said.
-slbk5@cc.usu.edu