Ever since men’s basketball coach Patrick Chambers was hired in June, he’s been urging students to turn out for games. With a brand new high-definition scoreboard set to be installed for the 2011-2012 season, he might not have to keep lobbying as hard anymore.
The new scoreboard, developed by ANC Sports Enterprises, is designed to improve game day atmosphere and fan experience by generating more fan interaction and injecting more energy into the building through improved crowd chants, all-new player introductions and more.
“The focus was two-fold,” Vice President of Sales at ANC Sports Colleen Duffy-Brace said. “First off they wanted to get the best technology available, and they went above and beyond. The second was to have the best fan experience possible.
Jerry Cifarelli, president and chief executive officer of ANC Sports, echoed the same sentiment in a press release, saying the system would create a “memorable experience” for fans.
While the goal of the renovation is to improve the game experience from a fan perspective, Chambers’ team could certainly benefit from some added noise during home games, where they averaged 7,457 fans a game, well below the Big Ten average of 12,826.
The Lady Lions, meanwhile, ranked near the top of the Big Ten in attendance, averaging 4,305 a game, above the league average of 4,161.
“It’s really going to get fans involved in the game,” Duffy-Brace said.
The new center-hung scoreboard will feature four Mitsubishi Electric 10 millimeters Diamond Vision video screens that each measures approximately 12' high x 16' wide. It also features 16 millimeter Diamond Vision ribbon displays both at the top and bottom of the each of the four screens.
The new scoreboard will be part of a state-of-the-art software platform developed by ANC Sports called VisionSOFT. The company will maintain and manage all digital signage during events at the BJC.
It will also provide real-time statistics, team logos, crowd prompts, animated team introductions and student athlete videos, in addition to live footage of other events around the arena during games.
“The old one was pretty basic and didn’t have a lot of statistics,” Duffy-Brace said. “The new one has a lot more stats and information.”
Through their partnership with Penn State, ANC Sports has produced digital signage systems at both Rec Hall and Beaver Stadium, in addition to the Diamond Vision LED ribbon system they installed at the BJC in 2008.
Fans will be able to get their first look the new high-definition scoreboard when the men’s team takes on Slippery Rock on Saturday, Nov. 5.
Lady Lion fans’ first look at the new scoreboard will be Friday, Nov. 11 against Washington State.
