Nov. 14, 2013
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Editor’s Note: The following first appeared in the University of Iowa’s Hawk Talk Daily, an e-newsletter that offers a daily look at the Iowa Hawkeyes, delivered free each morning to thousands of fans of the Hawkeyes worldwide.
IOWA CITY, Iowa — When the University of Iowa athletic administration decided to put in new video walls at Kinnick Stadium, they seized the opportunity to repurpose the previous video wall and use it for another sports team. Hawkeye softball received the screen and will use it to add to the game day atmosphere at Pearl Field.
“We’re all really excited about it,” Michelle Zoeller said. “We’ve had the same scoreboard for a long time. It’s going to be a form of entertainment that will attract more people and be something exciting for us as players to have.”
The screen, which is just under 16-feet tall and nearly 28-feet wide, was put into place last week and will have a variety of functions. It will track runs, hits, and errors like the previous scoreboard, but it will also allow for video content to be shown. When a student-athlete is announced, a video clip will be shown that will include their name, number, and position information. A short game intro video, in-game replays, highlight clips, and promotions for upcoming games and events are additional items that can also be shown on the board.
Members of the team are excited for the addition of these features to the game day atmosphere, which also appear on video boards during competitions for football, men’s and women’s basketball, and volleyball in their respective playing facilities.
“I think it will get the crowd more excited and involved,” Holly Hoffman said. “I know when we play at other places that have video scoreboards like that, everyone watches it and gets excited. I think with the way we perform, we deserve to have it.”
The video score board installation will conclude when it is surrounded by a border. According to Senior Associate Athletic Director, Jane Meyer, the border will say Iowa Softball, Pearl Field or something else that will highlight the Hawkeye softball program. The final video scoreboard set up will be nearly 17-feet tall and 29-feet wide. It will appear in the same center field location that the previous scoreboard occupied at Pearl Field.
Head coach Marla Looper is looking forward to what the video scoreboard will do to enhance the game day atmosphere at Pearl Field and impact the future of Iowa softball for years to come.
“Being able to get a new look out there with a new video scoreboard will just change the environment and the feel,” Looper said. “It makes it have more of a big league atmosphere for softball, which is Division I softball. It makes us look more professional, and it’s a good opportunity to have a nice looking board that everyone stares at the whole game.
“It shows us that the administration cares about softball and making the environment better. This gets us up to speed and up to date. It speaks highly of our administration that they are wanting to and willing to look at ways to help improve the environment until we can get the funds to then build a new facility.”
