New videoboards in Cassell look pretty sharp. #Hokies https://t.co/ynZTP4onTz pic.twitter.com/ethwsL32zR— Al Jones (@Jones_VT) September 18, 2025
On first glance, it doesn't look that much different, but if you look at how much space was between the video board and vents before and seeing that the entire space is now filled after, it is significantly larger. Should be a very nice enhancement to everyone attending games this year.
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Is it basketball season yet?
I think you meant to say Wrestling... I would also accept Baseball or Softball as acceptable substitutions.
I didn't think the old ones were to small. But I am happy to see them spending on BB.
Lipstick on a lovable pig. Piece meal reno is not what Cassell needs.
One day, they'll either blow it all up or do a major reno, and I'll miss what it used to be.
I *love* that Cassel + Lane are right on campus, but also recognize that it has created a significant space limitation for the expansion of athletics buildings.
If only there was a professionally contracted artists rendition of what a potential renovation of Cassell might look like
Man, it would be great to keep the same bones of the facility while modernizing it to current standards
If only we had some kind of indication of what that might look like
Shame, I bet we could even be able to squeeze some suite experiences into such a process as well
As soon as someone donates the
$75M$100M (factoring in inflation), I'm sure they'll get right on it.I tried winning the $1.8 billion to donate this, but someone else stole it from me.
WANT
Its not like VT doesn't have space to work with. All one has to do is look a mile to the NE and see the remaining 9 holes we have for the golf course to see we have a TON of undeveloped land on university property. Sorry for the golfers out there, but that land is absolutely not maximizing its potential utility. That space alone could fit 150% of what we currently have in athletic facilities, and if you take the space to the South and relo the Smithfield Horse Center you have an insane amount of facilities potential.
I don't think adding facilities a mile away makes much sense.
Its still on campus, and we can build more parking. It might be a mile away from the existing location, but its not like it would be a mile+ walk for anyone other than the students that live on campus.
Aren't they taking out one of the remaining 9 holes for the new business school buildings (I think?) that they showed plans of building a year or two ago?
If that's the case, why stop there?
Last I heard those two new buildings were taken off the table. I believe that the business school's 2nd new building (the first was the Data & Decision Sciences building at the corner of West Campus & Prices Fork), which will be the new home of the Pamplin College of Business (moving out of Pamplin Hall), and will be next to D&DS on West Campus, had ballooning costs that they were struggling to find funding for, and with all of the budget uncertainty/tightening, they decided to pull the living-learning community buildings off the master plan. Maybe it was something like the college couldn't find the funding to match the university/state, so they put those plans on the back burner.
I keep wishing they hung one of those 4 screen box shaped scoreboards over the middle of the court. I would think Cassell's arch ceiling design would be strong enough to support it
I doubt they could hang it off the existing structure. Back when they re roofed it 20 or so years ago they had to add a bunch of purlins to reinforce the existing structure. Would be cool though.
Only the speakers were center hung back then, and if we needed extra supports for that, putting the entire scoreboard there is a non-starter
Just stomp on my dreams...
I vaguely remember from my student years in the prehistoric 1980s that the reason more large concerts couldn't be held at Cassell because the ceiling/roof couldn't handle many bands equipment that was suspended from ceiling...but I could be misremembering...
Video screens, for those who should have stayed home and watched on TV. Watch the damn game on the court .
The vid screen is for replays. I watch the court.
I mean...its a bigger screen, but kinda marginal to the experience..probably better resolution.
But for an Athletic Dept that is supposedly desperately behind in funding, this seems like a very strange/low priority item to be spending money on.
Its almost like we don't have very wise people spending the money that we do have....maybe that's the root of the problem???
Good! There were so, so many dead pixels and issues with the old one.
Updated the OP with the new video boards in use
Meh...would love to know how much this project cost
I get the sense the existing board was due for replacement and the AD decided to spend a little more for an upgrade. So partial cost was improvement and partial replacement.
I guess my real question would be: Is this the board envisioned in the Cassell Renovation or will it have to be torn out for that renovation (assuming that renovation is even remotely still being pursued)?
Great. Now do LEDs in Lane
I might be the only one, but I hate watching a game on TV and after every touchdown, the whole field goes dark momentarily, and then starts flashing. It's annoying.
You hate em cuz we ain't got em. I bet you go to a game and would enjoy them.
I've been to games with them. They suck.
The quality of light is nice, the instant on in the event of a power blink is nice (no more waiting 10 min for the arc sodiums to power up) but the flashy on/off nonsense is fun exactly once.
By all means, upgrade the lights. But please don't do that stupid light show stuff.
edit: and not just once. I had ODU season tickets before we moved. Seeing the flash on/off every single game got old fast.
You're not wrong. I disliked them when I went to a Duke-VT game too.
Serious question: What are people with photosensitive epilepsy supposed to do?
At SB Ballard they always made a warning announcement before the game there there would be a light show at halftime (it counted down to the beginning of the quarter after the band's halftime show). So I guess those people just went to the bathroom or got locked in the elevator or something
I totally understand the scheduled light show aspect. I'm talking about touchdown celebrations that are spontaneous.
counterpoint: Enter Sandman with LED light show to match.
As long as it's all we've got, we might as well make the most of it.
Do. It! gif
This is that I am thinking. Don't have to flash then after every TD, but for sandman and maybe the band using it for halftime shows.
Then we'll be just an entrance with a light show. =^/
Better than just being an entrance *shrug*
LED lights would pay for themselves in one season. The ones we use are very expensive to run and replacements are time consuming (they burn out quicker than LEDs). Plus because these have to "warm" up we have to run them for hours before the game and throughout in case a quick storm or dark clouds come. Plus we could easily get a sponsor for them (LED light show presented by The Key Players Club).
I was really trying to figure out why the lights were on for a noon game on Saturday.
This is exactly why I've found it so discouraging that we haven't gone forward with the project. It's malpractice to not install them. It's a microcosm of the mismanagement happening in the athletic department. If they can't even do the slam dunk projects, how could they possibly handle the complex and challenging ones?
This is the other reason we should have them, yes
Whoa, while I said i would still pay if Joe upped the cost, I dont think my wife will let me pay enough to buy stadium lights.
More viewing area equals more advertising equals more $$.
Looks like it's actually fewer screens than before though so fewer ads possibly
Most of the new video boards have the ability to be able to split the screen however many ways is desired and can be changed again with simple programming. This is not new technology at this point.
Technology maybe but actual employment by those operating the screens is yet to be seen.
Zero faith they will
1. Get more advertisers
2. Use the screens effectively
Excellent points. Will need to see it as last year's replacing replacing individual stats with advertising during game was annoying and proves your point.
Would love to see the screen in Lane be used better. Show replays more often and not so many random shots of the crowd. Have an actual clock showing real time. Show other game scores more often on the main board instead of the tiny one in the SW corner end zone that is nearly impossible to see from the East stands anywhere inside the southern half of the field. Be more accurate on down and distance to go-several times it has showed wrong down o and or yards to go this year.
In the history of sports, this has never happened anywhere, ever
We ARE Virginia Tech
Maybe we should invent the future...
I thought we are Enter Sandman? ;^)
Enter Sandman in Cassell would be awesome with the lights out.