Sports

Tech unveils new video board at Tucker Stadium

Tech unveiled its new video board during the football home opener.  Photo by:  Kelli Kent

Despite rain, Tech Football unveiled the newest addition to Tucker Stadium just in time for Thursday’s home opener against Kennesaw State University.

Golden Eagle fans who braved the inclement weather were treated to a new $2.9 million video board that lit up the night sky.  The Golden Eagles fell to KSU 49-10.

“It is totally awesome,” sophomore Amanda Edmonds said. “It’s a lot easier to see what is happening on the field by watching the new video board.”

Construction began in May, temporarily affecting campus parking near Tucker Stadium, and continued up to the day of its debut. The video board, located at the South end of the field, is a product of Daktronics, an audiovisual company based out of Brookings, South Dakota. 

Athletic Department officials planned to have it up and running by December for the TSSAA state championship games, but the project was delayed after it had to be re-bid. Funds from Tech’s auxiliary enterprises account paid for the new video board.

The board is the third largest in the NCAA Div. 1 Football Championship Subdivision. 

The two FCS schools with larger video boards are Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas with an 81 by 37-foot board and Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas with an 80 by 30-foot board.

"This is an important project for us to complete as we work toward updating our athletic facilities," Tech assistant athletic director, Matt Dexter told TTUSports in July. "The video board will help enrich our game day experience and bring our fans closer to the game than ever through in-game video and stats, as well as enhanced marketing and promotions opportunities. This will give events at Tucker Stadium added value as we work to entertain our fans and keep them coming back for years to come."

The next opportunity to see the new video board in action is Sept. 29 when the Golden Eagles play Eastern Illinois.