Athletic facilities receive upgrades

Memorial Stadium's new scoreboard should be ready by football season.

By Daniel Everson

Published July 21, 2009

When football fans return to Memorial Stadium in September, a new addition to the Tigers' home field will loom over the rock M: a high-definition video scoreboard standing 30 feet tall and 80 feet wide.

Construction continues this week on the new board, which is one of three scoreboards the athletics department is installing this summer. Walton Stadium will feature a new 21-by-24-foot video board in time for soccer season in August, and Taylor Stadium will receive a new digital scoreboard and a 36-by-32-foot video board for the 2010 baseball season.

Athletics department spokesman Chad Moller said the goal of the project, particularly at Faurot Field, is to improve the game experience by giving fans "the biggest video replay board that would fit in the budget."

Scoreboard manufacturer Daktronics will also upgrade the sound systems at Memorial and Taylor Stadiums.

Associate Athletics Director Mark Alnutt estimated the total bill for the project to be $5 million. The price tag also includes new LED advertising boards at Faurot Field and new scoring tables with digital messaging boards at Mizzou Arena.

The new structure at Faurot Field, which costs about $3.8 million, has already begun replacing the old board behind the north end zone. Alnutt said foundational work will continue through July, with the new video board and speakers set to arrive later this month.

Construction is scheduled to be finished in time for the Tigers' home opener Sept. 12 against Bowling Green.

"We've had no indication that we won't reach that goal," Moller said.

Both Alnutt and Moller said Memorial Stadium has been in need of a new scoreboard.

"From a technical standpoint, the existing board we had was rather outdated," Alnutt said.

Moller explained that video boards, like TVs, have life spans. They start breaking down after so long, and the owner must decide whether to pay for repairs or a whole new board.

Moller said the Faurot Field board has been difficult to deal with and more expensive to maintain in recent years. He said the stadium's sound system has been antiquated for years.

Alnutt said customer feedback for years has noted the poor sound quality at Faurot Field. After smaller sound upgrades in 2003 and 2008, the stadium will feature a new sound system in 2009.

"Our fans might get more satisfaction out of the new sound system," Moller said. "Though the video board is the eye-catcher."

Moller said the department did not have the money to replace the old video and sound systems several years ago, but it has since raised the necessary funds for the new upgrades.

"And as soon as we get the new ones, we're going to be planning for the next generation," Moller said.

Moller said the project would eventually pay for itself as the boards generate advertising revenue.

"It's an upfront cost that you recoup as the years go on," he said. "It's like an investment property."