New Video Display Brings Excitement To Opener
9/18/2015 8:52:00 AM | Football
A major highlight of the opening game of Sam Houston's 30th football season in Elliott T. Bowers Stadium Saturday night will be the debut of the new Daktronics video display and audio system.
The new video/scoreboard is one of three additions to university athletic venues this summer. LED video displays have been installed for football and track at Bowers and volleyball and basketball at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum and work is underway for the new board at the Bearkat Softball Complex.
“The addition of Daktronics displays will bring a new dimension of entertainment, excitement and energy to our venues on game days,” Director of Athletics Bobby Williams said. “Our number one goal at Sam Houston is defining the student-athlete experience. The addition of the video/scoreboards enhances that goal even further, offering the university not only opportunities to create more spirit and fun at our arena and stadiums but to advance the program through additional revenue sources.”
Saturday's 6 p.m. game with Lamar University will mark the first Sam Houston football game for the an end zone display featuring a 15HD pixel layout and measuring approximately 30 feet high by 80 feet wide. The football display will be windowed into multiple zones to show live video and instant replays, statistics, out of town scores and sponsor recognition. Daktronics will also is providing a SportSound 2000 audio system for Bowers Stadium to enhance the game day experience.
SHSU's basketball arena, Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum, now has an end wall video display with a 10 millimeter line spacing measuring about 11.5 feet high by 21 feet wide. Fixed digit stat panels and scoring information will flank the video display.
Finally, SHSU's Softball Complex will receive a video display with a 15HD pixel layout and measuring roughly 9.5 feet high by 17 feet wide, along with a new fixed digit inning-by-inning scoreboard for game-in-progress scoring.
All these displays provide excellent image clarity and feature industry-leading environmental protection. Variable content zoning technology allows these displays to show a single large image or to divide the display area into zones that can be filled with any combination of live video, instant replays, up-to-the-minute statistics, scoring information, sponsor highlights and animations.
Jim and Tonya Ferris and Ann Wismer and Michael Landolt of the Wismer Distributing Company in Baytown, and Kurt Stevenson of Stevenson Beer Distributing Company in Trinity and Anheuser-Busch, have partnered with the SHSU Department of Athletics to make possible the addition of the video scoreboards.
“We greatly appreciate this generous gift in support of the Bearkat football, track and field, basketball, volleyball and softball programs,” said SHSU President Dana G. Hoyt. “The new boards will add a new dimension of entertainment, excitement and energy for our fans on game days.”
The new boards include the capability for live video, custom animation with full-color graphics, and up-to-the-minute sports statistics, timing and results information. All three of the new boards will feature sponsor advertising opportunities to provide additional revenue for the Bearkat athletic program.
“These are first-class video boards for first-class athletic programs,” said Jim Ferris, class of '69. “It is an honor to participate in such a major, positive upgrade for the university.”
Stevenson also attended SHSU in the late 1980s. Like Ferris, he has been a long-time supporter of the university through his involvement with a number of programs.
“It's exciting for us to be able to give back to the university,” Stevenson said. “Both my mother and late father, Carol and Robb Stevenson, are Sam Houston graduates and have been actively involved with athletics, the Rodeo Club and the alumni association through the years.”
“Sam Houston State University is fortunate to have wonderful alumni and friends who give at such a high level to help this university succeed,” Bobby Williams, director of athletics, said. “Major projects of this type take a total team effort. We are very appreciative of our partnership with our university president, university advancement, the athletic department, and especially the individuals who have made this possible with their generous gifts.”
Tickets for the Sam Houston-Lamar football game are available online now at www.gobearkats.com or at the Bearkat athletic ticket office located on the west side of Bowers Stadium. The ticket office telephone number is (936) 294-1729.
