The Illinois football program is going to have a big unveiling this football season.
The Illini, which spent a reported $21 million on the football video board, will turn it on for the first time this season on September 3 against the UAB Blazers. That is not the only addition to Gies Memorial Stadium that Illinois is making, as athletic director Josh Whitman spoke recently about screens being installed facing the tailgating lots.
Illinois will be giving fans who can not be in attendance an opportunity to watch the games in a unique way. This will enable fans to continue to tailgating after kickoff. It will certainly be a step-up from the portable screens that fans bring to the lots, and something that everyone can rally behind along Kirby.
The best part about these screens is that they can be used for more than just football season, with Whitman stating;
"I think it'll give us a lot of flexibility not only on game day, but potentially on other days to do a variety of different things."
The Illinois football program is really changing the atmosphere around the stadium with this video board
The football program has made great strides over the past number of years, with head coach Bret Bielema leading his team to the best two-season win total in school history. This team is moving in the right direction, which means they need a boost to the atmosphere to help keep up the momentum.
The video board, to some, may be seen as a waste of money when compared to the talent that is put on the field, but on the other side of that argument, some will say that a board of that magnitude can really make a game day experience more meaningful.
When you look at the monitors on the opposite side facing Kirby, those can certainly be a game-changer for the program. The school can easily use those to create a can't-miss tailgating experience that other schools are envious of, with aspects that can become traditions down the road.
Whether the school uses the space for watch parties or for holiday-related events, the screens outside of Memorial Stadium are capable of becoming a key fixture for the campus that people can congregate around. This will go down as a great addition for Illinois, just as long as they can use them in a constructive way.
Add us as a preferred source on Google