A New 1,800-Square-Foot LED Video Board for Memorial Coliseum
A massive new LED video board spanning approximately 1,800 square feet with dimensions of 30 feet by 60 feet is set to be installed in Memorial Coliseum, as will a new LED ribbon board nearly 100 feet in width. Installation is expected to be completed in October.
“We believe these new video and ribbon boards will transform the experience of women’s basketball, volleyball and gymnastics fans in Memorial,” Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart said. “They represent a major upgrade from what we currently have in place and we look forward to using them to engage our fans.”
The video board will be located on the Avenue of Champions side of Memorial, providing a major boost to the fan experience in the historic venue. The ribbon board – 3 feet, 8 inches in height and 98 feet, 6 inches in width – will be on the side of Memorial opposite the new video board, creating a perfect complement for the huge screen. Both the video and ribbon boards feature a 5.2 mm display with a 4800-hertz refresh rate.
Why Memorial Coliseum Needed the Upgrade
The project is the first step in UK Athletics’ plans for Memorial, which is at the top of Barnhart’s facility to-do list now that Kentucky baseball’s new stadium is soon to be completed. The building opened in 1950, then serving as the home of UK men’s basketball under legendary head coach Adolph Rupp. Memorial was named as a tribute to Kentuckians who gave their lives in service of America, with the names of those who died in the wars of the 20th and 21st centuries gracing the walls of Memorial.
Today, the venue is home to Kentucky’s women’s basketball, volleyball and gymnastics teams. UK Athletics’ goal for Memorial is to make it a state-of-the-art venue while honoring its decades of tradition. These new video and ribbon boards are just the start — and the choice of a 30-foot by 60-foot main board reflects a broader trend among collegiate athletic departments, where indoor video boards are sized less like a supplementary scoreboard and more like the primary way fans experience replays, stats, and in-arena entertainment during a game.
When the installation was complete, the results lived up to the hype — see the finished LED video screens at Memorial Coliseum in action. Formetco has since brought similar upgrades to other venues, including new boards at Dell Diamond, home of the Round Rock Express.
About Formetco
Since 1968, Formetco has researched, designed, and developed thousands of innovative out-of-home products, including cutting-edge digital displays, billboard hardware, and safety equipment. Headquartered in Atlanta and owned by the same family since its founding, Formetco is proud to be the only supplier and manufacturer to have served the outdoor advertising industry for over 50 years. Formetco Sports, a division of Formetco, Inc. is an innovative source of product design, reliability and customized LED screen solutions for sports venues across the country. With thousands of LED installations in the U.S., Formetco prides itself on craftsmanship, ingenuity and expertise while maintaining the highest level of customer service in the industry.
Every Formetco LED video board, indoor or outdoor, is backed by a 10-year parts and brightness warranty and 24/7 live diagnostics — the same coverage UK Athletics gets at Memorial Coliseum is standard for any school or venue that installs a Formetco system, from a college basketball arena to a Friday night football stadium.
This article originally appeared on UKAthletics.com
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