Because of the age of the old board and the trouble in obtaining replacement parts, Wright State made a move it hopes will upgrade all events at the Nutter Center. This summer, the university purchased a new scoreboard/video board system and expanded the video control room at a combined cost of nearly $1.5 million, paid for out of a capital improvements fund.
The scoreboard combines updated technology and more display options — including WSU fans joke, the score itself, which did not appear on the old scoreboard. The game operations staff will use updated cameras and equipment to make noticeable display changes at monitors throughout the arena and on the Horizon League Network, the league’s web-based broadcasting system.
“This is very significant, it will be a cornerstone,” said Jim Brown, the Nutter Center’s executive director. “When you think about this building, you’re going to see it for almost any event. (WSU Athletic Director) Bob Grant and I have talked about creating a ‘wow’ factor. Technology has changed over the years, so this is putting us in the same ballpark as any other new technology.”
Significant updates
Brown and Montesano stepped into the control area that houses technical operations for the video board as well as visual elements throughout the Nutter Center.
“This was athletic storage,” Montesano says, gesturing to a large chunk of the room that was expanded by taking down a wall.
The room was tripled in size during the summer — to 48 feet by 15 feet — to make room for the equipment and workers necessary to operate the system. Before that, the staff populated heavily by student workers twisted and turned to make things work.
“They were crawling all over each other,” said Bob Noss, WSU’s assistant athletics director for communications.
The university first considered the possibility of a new system in February 2010 while realizing the strain on the old system, and South Dakota-based Daktronics won the contract to construct the board to WSU’s specifications. It was built in Brookings, S.D., tested, dismantled and trucked to Fairborn. After dropping off the boxes full of the new board, Daktronics took away the deconstructed old board from the Nutter Center.
The new board can use multiple communication methods, including the video boards as well as rotating message systems for more advertising and promotions flexibility for the staff. The Nutter Center can also cater use of the system to nearly any event, from high school games to big-time wrestling.
“We can do so much with this,” Brown said. “We’re still kind of learning what all is possible.”
Noticeable changes
David Stoneburner, video production manager for Wright State, is perhaps most excited about the possibility he terms “Moment of Dominance.”
Because the building now operates all video systems from a single location, Stoneburner and his crew can produce a single message throughout the arena, no matter if the display is on the video board, the message boards on the scorers’ table or televisions on the concourse or in suites.
“I can sit here and set up something like, ‘Go Raiders!’ everywhere at the same time,” Stoneburner said. “That’s just one example of how this is different.”
Fans will notice obvious differences, including much brighter, clearer video on the hanging board, in part because of updated equipment. Noss said the school added new video cameras for the high definition-quality video feed, and four will be used to shoot each Raiders game.
That will improve WSU’s broadcasts on the Horizon League Network, Noss said. The HLN, established by the league to give fans access to free streaming of as many league events as possible, includes broadcasts produced by the individual schools. Wright State’s broadcasts will now include more angles.
Those who operate the video system say event attendees will immediately notice significant improvements, which became necessary as technology changed.
“I was in charge of the old board from day one,” Stoneburner said. “At the time we got it, it was top of the line, best in the business. Technology changed a huge amount, and it was time for us to give more pop and more impact for the fans.”
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