Concordia Athletic Director Rachel Bergeson announced that ground has been broken on a brand new $1 million scoreboard on the west end of the Jake Christiansen Stadium.
The new video board, game scoreboard and updated sound system are expected to be ready for the Cobbers' home football opener on Saturday, Sept. 1, against Nebraska Wesleyan.
"The scoreboard and sound system at The Jake needed updating," head football coach Terry Horan said. "The new system will be a huge boost for the game day experience, as well as helping with recruiting."
The new scoreboard structure will be 50 feet wide from brick pillar to brick pillar and 44 feet high from the ground to the top of the Jake Christiansen Stadium sign. Inside the structure, there will be a high definition video board that will be 32 feet wide and 18 feet high. There will be a static scoreboard located under the video board that will always feature the game time, score, down, and distance and timeouts remaining – the exact information the old scoreboard on the east end of the stadium featured.
The scoreboard was made possible through the generous donation of six donors. The principal donor for the new scoreboard was the Scott and Shelly Neal family. The Neals have close ties with the program as they had two sons, Logan and Griffin, play for the Cobbers in the 2000s. Griffin was a three-time All-MIAC honoree who set school records for career passing yards and touchdown passes.
"We can't thank the Neal family and all the donors enough for making this possible," Bergeson added. "Their generosity, and the generosity of many alumni and friends, continues to drive our athletic programs forward."
The opposite side of the football video board and scoreboard will face Eighth Street and feature the Concordia logo.
The new scoreboard is the third update to Jake Christiansen Stadium since 2010. The grass field was replaced with FieldTurf in 2010 and then a new outdoor locker room complex was added in 2014.
The new scoreboard will be able to feature video messages and high definition graphics, as well as replays from the game. It will also be used at home track and field meets as well as meets hosted by Concordia during the spring season.
"The versatility of the new scoreboard will help both the football and track and field programs at home events," Bergeson said. "I can't wait to see the many uses we can have for the scoreboard during the fall and spring seasons."
The holes for the footings for the new Daktronics scoreboard have already been dug and the construction crew will continue to work on the project throughout the month of August in order to complete the entire structure for the home opener on Sept. 1.
"I am excited about all the features and videos we can show on the scoreboard," Horan said. "It will make Saturdays at The Jake even more special."