Mississippi State University will install the largest videoboard in collegiate baseball before the start of the 2017 NCAA baseball season — a move will herald the beginning of renovations to Dudy Noble Field.
Measuring 43.2 feet tall and 60 feet wide, the new board will span a total of 2,592 square feet, which is 260 percent larger than the existing board. The current board at Dudy Noble is 20 feet tall and 36 feet wide, covering a total of 720 square feet.
This initial videoboard project also includes relocating utilities for the construction to follow, which will allow the project to move more quickly following the 2017 season. The Dudy Noble Field renovation project, first announced in 2014, has expanded from a $40-million endeavor to a $55-million project. The utility relocation and scoreboard installation are the first phases of the project, with plenty of work scheduled to begin after the end of the 2017 Mississippi State season.
“The new videoboard is an exciting first step in our ambitious baseball stadium project,” MSU Director of Athletics Scott Stricklin said. “Completing it in time for the 2017 season gets that part of the renovation in place and will allow workers to move quickly on substantial construction once the upcoming season is complete.”
Provided by Daktronics, the upgrade will give the Diamond Dawgs a digital space that is larger than that of three Major League Baseball clubs (Baltimore, Colorado and Tampa Bay). The new board is also 45 percent larger than the one at Arkansas’ Baum Stadium, home to the current largest videoboard in college baseball.
“I am extremely excited for this project and what it will do to continue to elevate the Dudy Noble Field experience,” MSU head baseball coach John Cohen said. “This is the first part of a project that will set our facility apart from the rest of the country and I can’t wait to see the progress on it moving forward.”
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