I was very glad to see the new scoreboard and sound system move forward at Bronco Stadium. The Boise State athletic department announced that it will be in place by at least the third home game of the season on September 28. It will be mounted on top of the new football building in the north endzone.
Traveling to all of the away over the last few years, I have seen some really nice boards. Michigan State's last year was the top of the line and I caught my first glimpse of it flying in two nights before the game. Our plane flew directly over the stadium and they were testing out the really big board at one end of the stadium and the two just pretty big boards at the other end. You could see them clearly from the sky.
When you go on the road, the video boards are something you really notice. And the good ones can take a stadium from good to great.
The video boards will be something that everyone in stadium will enjoy. Sometimes when something is renovated or added, it only benefits the people that sit in that section. If chairbacks are added to one side of the stadium, no one on the other side gains anything. Everyone will enjoy seeing bigger, clearer replays. It will be like exchanging your 24-incher at home for the HD 52-incher. I know sometimes it was difficult for me to see a replay on the board from my broadcast position. So I am looking forward to seeing it. If my math is correct, the new board will be about five times bigger. The old one was a little over 400 square feet, while the new one is almost 2200 square feet.
A better sound system is the hidden gem in this package. It is very difficult to hear clearly at Bronco Stadium. While I don't need to hear the public address announcer, it does help to hear the referee….something that now should be improved. That will also add to everyone's enjoyment of the game as well.
Boise State has done a nice job with improving its facilities. The new football and basketball buildings are things probably the average fan won't see. This is something that will be really noticeable. Looking forward to going from color to HD this season. We'll never want to go back.
