Aug. 15, 2012

BERKELEY - Fans entering the gates to see the Golden Bears take on Nevada in the season-opener on Sept. 1 will be returning home to Memorial Stadium for the first time in nearly two years. The renovation and enhancements to a facility that first opened in 1923 have transformed the stadium into a modern building that is seismically safe and much more fan-friendly, all while retaining much of the historic nature and feel fans have long enjoyed.

One of the new features is the addition of state-of-the art video and ribbon boards around stadium. Most prominent will be two video boards hung from the historic north and south scoreboard structures. Each will provide about 90 percent more video area than the single Bear Vision board in the old stadium.

While there isn't an easy translation from a television screen to a video board, the look is expected to be close to the resolution of what a 1080p television would look like at home.

Shannon Holloway, the on-site coordinator for Capital Projects on campus, described it best, saying "these are like a giant high-definition televisions with LED technology."

While providing an enhanced picture, the boards will feature much more content showcasing the Golden Bear football program and the entire Cal athletic department.

Fans will also notice the new ribbon board that spans the length of the press box, which will provide a host of information, including statistics, out-of-town scores and promotional features. On field level, two ribbon boards will be installed behind each of the end zones.

Excavation of the old scoreboards was completed more than a year ago, and earlier this summer, concrete beams and new steel columns were installed to reinforce the structure as part of the stadium's renovation. Wiring was set in early July, and the first piece of the video board screens was put into place on July 29.

TS Sports, the Dallas-based company contracted to supply and install the boards, has nearly completed its work, and each of the new video boards is undergoing a battery of tests this week.

To purchase tickets to Cal football, click on the tickets link at CalBears.com, call (800) GO BEARS (462-3277), or visit the Sales and Service Center located in Haas Pavilion Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. through 5:30 p.m. Gates to Memorial Stadium open two hours prior to kickoff.