Jordan-Hare NEZ getting new Video Board

[RunInRed 19,633]

 

AUBURN, Alabama — The Auburn University Board of Trustees has given the first level of approval for the addition of a new state-of-the-art videoboard in the north end zone of Jordan-Hare Stadium.
 
The vote and approval came at Friday's Board of Trustees meetings in Montgomery at the AUM campus and will replace the current north end zone scoreboard, which was originally installed in 1987.
 
The north end zone videoboard project is expected to break ground in the summer of 2024 to be completed in time for the 2025 Auburn football season.
 
This project marks the first step toward modernizing the north end zone of Jordan-Hare Stadium. The videoboard and supporting structure have been intentionally designed to stand alone behind the current seating bowl, enabling future north end zone improvement opportunities to utilize the concrete frame as part of any future projects.
 
The videoboard's concrete base structure is also expected to provide an expanded north end zone concourse to provide additional food and beverage offerings, while easing the flow of fans around the main concourse level of Jordan-Hare Stadium.
 
"We are appreciative of the Auburn Board of Trustees for its continued support of Auburn Athletics and the Auburn Family," Auburn Director of Athletics John Cohen said. "This videoboard project will not only take a big step in our efforts to provide a better aesthetic balance between Jordan-Hare Stadium's north and south end zones and an improved sound experience, but more importantly will continue to modernize the fan experience for our fan base. It will also give our south end zone patrons, including our student section, an opportunity to have an unimpeded and straight-ahead view of a state-of-the-art videoboard."
 
The new north end zone videoboard will be 47 feet high by 154 feet wide, totaling 7,238 square feet of LED space. While the current south end zone videoboard remains the largest collegiate videoboard in the country at 10,690 square feet, the new north videoboard will also measure impressively as the sixth largest videoboard in the Southeastern Conference and a top-20 collegiate videoboard in the United States. By today's standard, the two videoboards combined will feature the most LED square footage of videoboard among all SEC schools. 
 
LBYD Engineers of Birmingham, Alabama will serve as project engineers.

[AUApostle 8,184]

1. Where’s all the additional seats, or club/restaurant?

2. Please don’t wrap this in that ugly stucco/EIFS like the other scoreboard.  Wrap it in ACM panel…make it look a little more sleek/modern.

Edited February 2, 2024 by AUApostle

[RunInRed 19,633]

Obviously they are planning for a significant renovation beyond this.  It does seems like this being there would make construction more difficult.  But what do I know ...

[RunInRed 19,633]

[RunInRed 19,633]

@autigeremt do you have an unblurred copy of the last photo I posted so we can read the notes?

[RunInRed 19,633]

A few more thoughts ...

• I'm surprised it will take until the 2025 football season for the scoreboard to be ready.
• Expanding the NEZ concourse will be huge - it's always so crowded.
  • The videoboard's concrete base structure is also expected to provide an expanded north end zone concourse to provide additional food and beverage offerings, while easing flow of the fans around the main concourse level of Jordan-Hare Stadium.

[RunInRed 19,633]

For those asking, the current video board in the SEZ is 190x57 ... this new one, in the NEZ will be a touch smaller but similar in scale at 154x47.

[AUGoo 2,792]

Oh good.

Another video screen to look at.

[meh130 1,072]

My one comment is such a significant structure would eliminate any north end zone upper deck for a considerable amount of time.

[RunInRed 19,633]

10 minutes ago, meh130 said:

My one comment is such a significant structure would eliminate any north end zone upper deck for a considerable amount of time.

I don’t think there’s appetite or plans for an upper deck. It’s all gonna be about suites and club seating. If you notice the level right above the top row of the deck, you’ll see how the plans call for additional height there that’s not by accident.

[meh130 1,072]

2 minutes ago, RunInRed said:

I don’t think there’s appetite or plans for an upper deck. It’s all gonna be about suites and club seating. If you notice the level right above the top row of the deck, you’ll see how the plans call for additional height there that’s not by accident.

True, but I have never seen the club seats in the old press box completely full. I personally think they should narrow that and put the radio press boxes back in that area. I am fine with moving the print and internet media out of the main press box. I also think some kind of box suites should be put in the southeast corner to match the press box.

[VicTree 154]

11 minutes ago, meh130 said:

True, but I have never seen the club seats in the old press box completely full. I personally think they should narrow that and put the radio press boxes back in that area. I am fine with moving the print and internet media out of the main press box. I also think some kind of box suites should be put in the southeast corner to match the press box.

It's awful when our own announcers have to look at a tv screen to properly see what is happening on the field.

[rophle 256]

15 minutes ago, meh130 said:

True, but I have never seen the club seats in the old press box completely full. 

They may not be full, but they are sold, which is what the accountants care about. 

[woodford 4,065]

Unless this will support future club/restaurant/vendor areas then I’m not in favor of it. We already have a massive screen? 

I’d like to see areas for students (future season ticket holders) improved. More vendors, TV’s, terrace to hang out on during halftime, phone charging stations, etc.

 

Stadiums need to get more comfortable and have more amenities, not get any bigger.  

[Swamp Eagle 5,446]

I didn’t have a vote so what I think doesn’t matter.

[JDUBB4AU 5,763]

3 hours ago, AUApostle said:

1. Where’s all the additional seats, or club/restaurant?

2. Please don’t wrap this in that ugly stucco/EIFS like the other scoreboard.  Wrap it in ACM panel…make it look a little more sleek/modern.

Can’t please this guy. I want it all gold and brass 

[autigeremt 7,543]

5 hours ago, RunInRed said:

@autigeremt do you have an unblurred copy of the last photo I posted so we can read the notes?

I’ll see what I can get permission to share.

From my understanding, the superstructure of this project is designed to be built without interference of future expansion efforts. The scoreboard, though smaller than the monster across from it, will still be the 6th largest board in the SEC. 

[lca408 388]

2 hours ago, woodford said:

Unless this will support future club/restaurant/vendor areas then I’m not in favor of it. We already have a massive screen? 

I’d like to see areas for students (future season ticket holders) improved. More vendors, TV’s, terrace to hang out on during halftime, phone charging stations, etc.

 

Stadiums need to get more comfortable and have more amenities, not get any bigger.  

I wish they’d build another add on to the other side of the South endzone, mirroring the one they built a few years ago, but brick it in for God’s sake. But if they could do that, they could use that as expanded area and amenities for students, and put boxes above.

[creed 1,982]

I believe what we'll eventually see is an expanded common area near the north end zone with eating and alcohol sales. Think "The Battery" near the Braves stadium except smaller. If that goes well look for additional expansions around the stadium.

[aucom96 1,667]

Well, at least we can say both corners of the stadium will now need sunglasses. 

[AUY2K 301]

When are they going to get rid of the double wide in the SEZ?

[RunInRed 19,633]

 

[AUApostle 8,184]

19 hours ago, RunInRed said:

 

A condition of my donation is one of those bays has to be converted into my very own studio apartment...and I'll need covered parking below.

[AUBldr 193]

I read an article back when they were considering the north end zone expansion that one obstacle was the difficult subsurface conditions and how that was driving a very expensive structural design. The site was originally a shallow valley. I’m guessing this area was cut through by a small drainage channel flowing to Parkerson Mill? Does anyone know if part of the reason this structure seems so robust for a scoreboard is that they were trying to tackle part of this foundation issue early on? It’s a big scoreboard, but that structure seems like overkill for what you’d need just for those loads. 

[RunInRed 19,633]

49 minutes ago, AUBldr said:

I read an article back when they were considering the north end zone expansion that one obstacle was the difficult subsurface conditions and how that was driving a very expensive structural design. The site was originally a shallow valley. I’m guessing this area was cut through by a small drainage channel flowing to Parkerson Mill? Does anyone know if part of the reason this structure seems so robust for a scoreboard is that they were trying to tackle part of this foundation issue early on? It’s a big scoreboard, but that structure seems like overkill for what you’d need just for those loads. 

The foundation / structure is absolutely in place now for future expansion - think of this as Phase 1.