'You got to see it in person'

Aug. 25—CHAMPAIGN — The new videoboard reigning over one end of Gies Memorial Stadium is almost too big to be believed.

Associate Athletic Director Derryl Myles, director of Fighting Illini Productions and technology, said even other industry professionals are wowed by the screen when he sends them pictures.

The most common word he hears in reaction to it is "huge."

But "pictures do not do this board justice. The sheer scale of what it is, in proximity to the field, is amazing. Any Illini fan who has any type of fandom with us here needs to come down and take a look at it," Myles said during Monday's episode of "News-Gazette Radio". "You got to see it in person."

Starting with next Thursday's season opener against UAB, college football's largest videoboard will show game replays, crowd shots, interactive content for fans and whatever else the production team cooks up to provide unique entertainment.

It's also a display of strategy.

"That videoboard can be distracting for good and bad reasons, and we're trying to make it bad reasons for our opponents when they come in," Myles said.

His staff have been working with the Illini football players and coach Bret Bielema to get the team used to what the display might be up to as they play.

The anticipation has been building since Jan. 13, when Illini athletics announced that South Dakota-based Daktronics would design, manufacture and install at Gies Memorial Stadium the largest main video display in college football — by a bundle.

At 17,315 square feet, it dwarfs the sport's next-largest board — Auburn's, at 10,690.

"The jitters are going. I probably feel kind of the same way as Coach B getting the team ready," Myles said. "You kinda know what you got but until you get it all the way out there and get it out there on the field, that's when you really get to see it in full force."

Between now and opening night, there will be "a lot of rehearsals and a lot of eyeballs on things," Myles said. "With the size of this board and the canvas that it is, there are a lot of new moving pieces for our department to learn."

The audio system saw an upgrade too; Myles said the thumping bass will be noticeable right away, as will the improved syncing between audio and video from anywhere in the stadium.

That's not all that's new this year: the stadium has an upgraded WiFi system, upgraded lighting and external display screens to show off Illini spirit from miles away.

Myles said the new lighting will hit visitors in the face right away with orange and blue highlighting impactful moments, particularly during night games.