Indiana University Athletics
Assembly Hall To Get New Scoreboard
7/19/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
July 5, 2005
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - When Indiana basketball fans watch games at Branch McCracken Court at Assembly Hall in 2005-06, they will literally see the Hoosiers in a new perspective. The Indiana Athletics Department and its multi-media partner, IU Sports Properties, a division of Learfield Communications, announced today that a $1.99-million scoreboard-video board will be installed in the Hoosiers' tradition-rich basketball facility this summer.
IU Sports Properties, the exclusive media and advertising rights holder for IU Athletics since 1993, recently renegotiated its agreement to provide funding for a new scoreboard/video board system, as well as increased annual rights fee revenue for the department. The state-of-the art scoreboard-video board will include four video screens, four video/scoring/statistics screens, one center-hung ProAd ring, five ProTable scorer's table units, four auxiliary portal scoreboards, as well as three-sided shot clocks and a new game timing system.
The only other major program in the country that utilizes similar ProTable technology is North Carolina, while Wisconsin is the only other Big Ten program that was a center-hung ProAd ring in its facility.
The scoreboard-video board system is a significant upgrade from the scoreboard and timing system that has been in use for the past 11 seasons, which cannot show video highlights or individual/team statistics. Additionally, the current shot clocks do not display hundredth of a second, and replacement of parts for the entire timing system is difficult due to the unit's age.
It is very important to IU to preserve the history and tradition of Assembly Hall when making enhancements of this type. This is a primary objective for IU Athletics Director Rick Greenspan in this venture.
"We are looking to create a positive fan experience, while still preserving the distinct look of Assembly Hall," Greenspan said. "The new scoreboard/video board system will be a great addition for our fans, and will allow them to enjoy the experience of attending an IU game more than ever."
"Additionally, a vital part of our mission is to continually develop new sources of revenue that will help sustain our total athleticS program for the benefit of all of our student-athletes. However, we have been extremely careful in this process not to negatively affect the aura and aesthetics of Assembly Hall."
Greenspan appreciates IU Sports Properties' support in this project.
"On behalf of the athletics department, I also want to express our sincere gratitude to our multi-media and advertising rights partner, IU Sports Properties. It has been a loyal associate of Hoosier athletics for 13 years, and we look forward to continuing our relationship."
IU Sports Properties General Manager Bob Agramonte said that the scoreboard-video board highlights Learfield's long, and established, tenure with Indiana Athletics.
"There are many objectives with this project," Agramonte said. "IU Sports Properties is proud to help enhance the overall facility by providing a high technology scoreboard - video board that will be informative and entertaining to the fans. It also helps IU Basketball market its product through advertising in a tasteful and appropriate manner."
According to Agramonte, such high profile clients as Regions Bank and State Farm Insurance each already have committed to significant presence inside Assembly Hall as part of the project.
"We will be very selective in determining which advertisers will appear on the board, just as we have done in the past in attracting advertisers for IU's other athletic facilities," Agramonte said. "Indiana Basketball is one of the nation's most visible programs, so it is only fitting that we have the most prestigious advertisers possible."
Indiana men's basketball coach Mike Davis and women's coach Sharon Versyp feel that the new scoreboard -video board brings a positive boost to their respective programs.
"One of the biggest recruiting tools we have at Indiana is the atmosphere here during a big game," Davis said. "This new scoreboard will be a great resource in helping us continue to build our significant homecourt advantage."
One of Versyp's many goals in her upcoming debut campaign is to help cultivate a solid fan base, and the new scoreboard-video board is a major tool in that cultivation.
"Very few programs in the country have this type of technology in their on-campus facility," Versyp said. "IU women's basketball is a sleeping giant. It has a ton of potential. There is just so much tradition here. We need to build it. We need to have character and build a foundation. We need to get the state excited about IU women's basketball. When it has that much potential, it is exciting. We can always go up, and we are going to do it and do it in great fashion."
