New Video Board And Turf At Ladd-Peebles Stadium For 2013 Season
Ladd-Peebles Stadium for the 2011 Senior Bowl. Their rented video replay board is visible in the corner of the endzone. A similar setup is expected for the 2013 South Alabama football season. | Photo credit AL.com John David Mercer
The University of South Alabama Director of Athletics Dr. Joel Erdmann confirmed that Ladd-Peebles Stadium will have a video replay board for the 2013 season. The University will be renting it for the season and it will be set up in the Northeast corner similar to the setup for the GoDaddy.com Bowl.
The Jags will play half of their schedule at Ladd-Peebles this season which totals six games. They will open the season when they host Southern Utah on Thursday, August 29.
Erdmann told AL.com that the absence of a video replay board is abnormal for FBS schools and the University thought it was best to invest in renting one to enhance the fan experience at games.
Both the GoDaddy.com Bowl and the Senior Bowl both make use of a portable videoboard. But something unique for this situation is that both of those bowl games are televised. But since some of the Jaguars games will not be broadcast, they will be self-producing everything seen on the screen. Erdmann said that they will have four or five HD cameras for each game.
He continued by explaining that they will be providing HD camera systems, replay directors and graphic packages. Some of the Jaguars games will be broadcast or could be broadcast on CSS, ESPN3 or ESPNU and in those cases they will try to take the feed of that broadcast, if allowed, and display that feel on the videoboard.
According to Erdmann, the cost per game to produce the content and operate the cameras will be approximately $24,000 per game. An intern with the University has created all of the graphics, player headshots, lead-ins, replay and video content that will be used. We just have to wait three weeks before we can see it on the screen.