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PITTSBURG —
On Thursday, PSU Athletic Director/Head Football Coach Chuck Broyles along with Kendall Gammon, major gifts officer in the PSU Office of University Development, revealed plans for a $1.7 million video scoreboard and display that will be located on the south end of the stadium.
Officials expect the new video board to be in place prior to the Gorilla’s first home game, Sept. 13 against Missouri Southern.
“When we look at our stadium and go other places, this is a great venue to watch football games,” Broyles said. “This just finishes out the project because I don’t know where else you can put anymore sky boxes.
“This will, not only enhance the fan appeal when they come to a game.”
The new display, according to university officials, wil be appoximately 40 feet tall and nearly 70 feet wide and will include a new sound system on top of the video monitoring.
According to Daktronics, the company contracting with PSU for the video board, the PSU board will be the largest at any NCAA Division II stadium and will also boast a larger video viewing capacity than those at the University of Missouri, Kansas State University and the University of Kansas.
The cost of the endevour will be paid entirely by private donations.
“This was a monumental task but time and time again, with not just football but with everything in this community, people step up,” Gammon said. “It has been interesting to go out and talk to businesses and individuals because, like Dr. (PSU President Tom) Bryant said, this is good for Pittsburg and what is good for Pittsburg is good for Pittsburg State.”
In talking to potential donors, Gammon said that was the selling point — what is good for PSU is good for Pittsburg and vice versa.
“I think raised the bar a little bit when we put in the field turf and now just about every school in the league has that and we felt that this was the next step because we always want to be on the cutting edge of things and we thought that this was the next step,” Gammon said.
It will replace the scoreboard located on the north end of the stadium that was installed in 1988.
The new board will allow for color animation, graphics as well as live or pre-recorded video.
“Our communications department is going to benefit because they are going to have five cameras to use,” Broyles said. “It is unlimited as to what you can do in a gameday production.”
The board can also be utilized for other events such as track and field and, according to Ron Womble with University Communications, the PSU Student Activities Office is starting to consider hosting outdoor movies in the stadium by using the video board.
“We feel like this adds a different dimention to getting playoff games down here and getting the Shrine Bowl down here on a regular basis,” Gammon said. “There are all kinds of things that you can do with this.”
Daktronics, the maker of the scoreboard, is doing some of the work at its facilty in Brookings, S.D. They will also provide PSU staff with training once the board is in place.
“Even though you don’t see dirt moving, the wheels are in motion,” Gammon said.
Broyles added that the new board will help with coaching duties.
“This really enhances yourself as a coach because you can sit back and watch the replay,” Broyles said. “Of course we can control what replays so we may just put up our good replays.”
Work on the new board will continue through the summer.
Matthew Clark can be reached at matthew.clark@morningsun.net or at 620-231-2600, Ext. 140
On Thursday, PSU Athletic Director/Head Football Coach Chuck Broyles along with Kendall Gammon, major gifts officer in the PSU Office of University Development, revealed plans for a $1.7 million video scoreboard and display that will be located on the south end of the stadium.
Officials expect the new video board to be in place prior to the Gorilla’s first home game, Sept. 13 against Missouri Southern.
“When we look at our stadium and go other places, this is a great venue to watch football games,” Broyles said. “This just finishes out the project because I don’t know where else you can put anymore sky boxes.
“This will, not only enhance the fan appeal when they come to a game.”
The new display, according to university officials, wil be appoximately 40 feet tall and nearly 70 feet wide and will include a new sound system on top of the video monitoring.
According to Daktronics, the company contracting with PSU for the video board, the PSU board will be the largest at any NCAA Division II stadium and will also boast a larger video viewing capacity than those at the University of Missouri, Kansas State University and the University of Kansas.
The cost of the endevour will be paid entirely by private donations.
“This was a monumental task but time and time again, with not just football but with everything in this community, people step up,” Gammon said. “It has been interesting to go out and talk to businesses and individuals because, like Dr. (PSU President Tom) Bryant said, this is good for Pittsburg and what is good for Pittsburg is good for Pittsburg State.”
In talking to potential donors, Gammon said that was the selling point — what is good for PSU is good for Pittsburg and vice versa.
“I think raised the bar a little bit when we put in the field turf and now just about every school in the league has that and we felt that this was the next step because we always want to be on the cutting edge of things and we thought that this was the next step,” Gammon said.
It will replace the scoreboard located on the north end of the stadium that was installed in 1988.
The new board will allow for color animation, graphics as well as live or pre-recorded video.
“Our communications department is going to benefit because they are going to have five cameras to use,” Broyles said. “It is unlimited as to what you can do in a gameday production.”
The board can also be utilized for other events such as track and field and, according to Ron Womble with University Communications, the PSU Student Activities Office is starting to consider hosting outdoor movies in the stadium by using the video board.
“We feel like this adds a different dimention to getting playoff games down here and getting the Shrine Bowl down here on a regular basis,” Gammon said. “There are all kinds of things that you can do with this.”
Daktronics, the maker of the scoreboard, is doing some of the work at its facilty in Brookings, S.D. They will also provide PSU staff with training once the board is in place.
“Even though you don’t see dirt moving, the wheels are in motion,” Gammon said.
Broyles added that the new board will help with coaching duties.
“This really enhances yourself as a coach because you can sit back and watch the replay,” Broyles said. “Of course we can control what replays so we may just put up our good replays.”
Work on the new board will continue through the summer.
Matthew Clark can be reached at matthew.clark@morningsun.net or at 620-231-2600, Ext. 140
