Scoreboard-Sized LED Wall Greets Student Athlete Prospects At Univ. Of Florida

February 7, 2023 by Dave Haynes

US college athletics programs – particularly football and basketball – are highly, highly competitive, and a lot of effort and money goes into developing training and locker room facilities that make student athletes commit to attending and playing for a school.

Bling is increasingly a big part of the recruitment process – with top college programs putting a lot of digital into the locker rooms, including individualized screens over locker stalls instead of name plates.

And now we’re seeing very large LED video walls – of the scale that might have previously been in the arena – inside the training facilities. This is the University of Florida’s new football training center, which opened last year in Gainesville. The James W. “Bill” Heavener Football Training Center is a two-floor, 142,000-square-foot complex. Owned by the University of Florida Athletic Association, the facility was built on the site of the old McKethan Stadium.

The wide-format LED – from SNA Displays – is 14’9″ tall and 31’6″ wide – installed about 10 feet up from the floor, above the program’s three NCAA football championship trophies. The display  overlooks the large entrance area and features content from the university’s athletic successes.

I assume the intent is to wow high school seniors the moment they walk in.

Sound and video integrator Baker Audio Visual provided installation services for the video wall, which processes nearly seven million pixels. The venue was designed by global design and architecture firm HOK with a goal of offering sleek, modern amenities for current and prospective Florida athletes.