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The following release is courtesy of Daktronics.
BROOKINGS, S.D. – The Fighting Illini turned to Daktronics (NASDAQ-DAKT) of Brookings, South Dakota, to design, manufacture and install the largest main video display in college football, totaling 17,300+ square feet. The project includes 16 LED displays that combine for more than 26,750 square feet and 30 million pixels at Gies Memorial Stadium on campus at the University of Illinois in Champaign. The project will be completed ahead of the 2026 college football season.
“We are excited to partner with Daktronics to bring the largest videoboard in college football to Gies Memorial Stadium,” said Director of Athletics Josh Whitman. “These new visual resources reflect our commitment to providing one of the nation’s best game day experiences. Under Coach Bielema’s leadership, and with an electric fan base that is now filling our stadium to near capacity, our program has become one of the most successful and exciting in major college football. We are thrilled to make this major investment in our historic stadium – one of the sport’s great venues – as we continue our efforts to enhance the experience for our fans, student-athletes, and others, all with an eye toward building a championship program.”
Main Video Display Details
The new south end zone display will measure approximately 69 feet high by 250 feet wide and will feature a 10-millimeter pixel spacing for high-resolution imagery and improved contrast. The size of the display will allow for larger-than-life content, including live video, instant replays, graphics, animations, game statistics and sponsorship messages.
The display features 16 million pixels and would be the fifth-largest display in professional football. It is roughly the same size as the main outfield display at Citi Field in New York and 3.4 times the size of the main display at Soldier Field in Chicago. For reference, it would take 1,621 60-inch televisions to cover the entire display.
“We’re excited to partner with the University of Illinois on this project to bring the largest display in college football to life,” said Daktronics Vice President of Live Events Jay Parker. “College football is a tradition that brings people together and creates unforgettable moments. This project reflects the passion and scale of college football, and we’re proud to help make those memories even more impactful in Champaign, Illinois.”
Top 10 Largest Displays in College Football
1. Illinois
17,315 sq. ft.
2. Auburn
10,690 sq. ft.
3. Purdue
8,461 sq. ft.
4. Oregon
8,208 sq. ft.
5. Michigan
8,165 sq. ft.
6. Wisconsin
7,941 sq. ft.
7. Utah
7,808 sq. ft.
8. Oklahoma
7,803 sq. ft
9. Mississippi State
7,777 sq. ft.
10. Texas A&M
7,635 sq. ft.
Additional LED Display Details
Supplementing the in-bowl experience, a super ribbon in the north end zone and two sideline ribbon displays are being installed along the seating fascia as well as two field-level displays and eight bleacher displays being installed as well. The north end zone super ribbon measures roughly 12.5 feet high by 180 feet wide and each sideline ribbon measures roughly 4 feet high by 427 feet wide. Both field level displays measure nearly 5.5 feet high by 34 feet wide. All three ribbon displays and both field-level displays feature 10-millimeter pixel spacing.
The eight bleacher displays each measure roughly 5.5 feet high by 12 feet wide and feature a tight 2.9-millimeter pixel spacing. These displays deliver additional statistics, graphics and sponsorship messaging throughout events.
On the backside of the main video display, two video displays face outside of the stadium to connect with fans as they arrive and experience the game-day atmosphere. These displays each measure 29.5 feet high by 52.5 feet wide, feature 10-millimeter pixel spacings and are some of the largest backside displays in college football. Its flexibility allows for pre-game hype videos, post-game victory animations showcasing the score for fans to celebrate, promotional opportunities for upcoming games and university events, and sponsorship or university messaging needs.
Daktronics is also including a complete Show Control solution including Camino with this installation. This industry-leading control system provides a combination of display control software, world-class video processing, data integration and playback hardware that forms a powerful yet user-friendly production solution. The addition of Camino to the control system will provide a new level of functionality to create dynamic, real-time rendered content never before possible in a Daktronics system.
Camino opens up creative possibilities to display visuals in a 2D/3D space, incorporating data-based logic to automate production elements, and developing timelines within a single piece of content so it can react in real time as the event unfolds.
In addition to the equipment installation, the Fighting Illini will also receive a content package that will be produced and delivered by Daktronics Creative Services.
Daktronics has grown with the sports industry from the company’s beginnings in 1968. Today, the company has LED video display installations at hundreds of colleges and universities across the United States. For more information on what Daktronics can provide for the collegiate market, visit www.daktronics.com/college.
About Daktronics
Daktronics helps its customers to impact their audiences throughout the world with large-format LED video displays, message displays, scoreboards, digital billboards, audio systems and control systems in sport, business and transportation applications. Founded in 1968 as a USA-based manufacturing company, Daktronics has grown into the world leader in audiovisual systems and implementation with offices around the globe. Discover more at www.daktronics.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
Cautionary Notice: In addition to statements of historical fact, this news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is intended to enjoy the protection of that Act. These forward-looking statements reflect the Company’s expectations or beliefs concerning future events. The Company cautions that these and similar statements involve risk and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations, including, but not limited to, changes in economic and market conditions, management of growth, timing and magnitude of future contracts and orders, fluctuations in margins, the introduction of new products and technology, the impact of adverse weather conditions, increased regulation and other risks described in the company’s SEC filings, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for its 2025 fiscal year. Forward-looking statements are made in the context of information available as of the date stated. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise such statements to reflect new circumstances or unanticipated events as they occur.
