Worthen Arena - New features
- Daktronics LED 6-panel video board
- New floor and branding scheme
- New corner scoreboards
- Upgraded audio system
Worthen Arena’s new chandelier — a six-panel video board hanging over center court — was installed Aug. 20, replacing a single-panel setup that has been in use.
The audio system in Worthen Arena was also upgraded. In all, the project cost about $1.2 million.
Ball State athletic director Mark Sandy said the video board will add "flavor" to contests through fan experience and keep facilities up to date with other Mid-American Conference schools. But the biggest improvement may come in recruiting.
"To have a good team and to improve the quality of student-athletes who are coming in, recruiting is maybe first, slightly," Sandy said. "Then once you have a good team, you have to have a facility that fans want to come and enjoy.”
For an older building, the state-of-the-art video board is a big step. Worthen Arena was opened in 1992.
Worthen Arena is home to men and women's basketball and volleyball. Sandy hopes recruits come in and say it's one of the best setups they've seen.
The Daktronics LED video board features six screens for fans to view, including one on each of the four sides and two at the bottom. The screens facing the sidelines measure 11 feet tall by 20 feet wide, and the others facing the baselines measure 7 feet by 12 feet. The angled boards under the screen are 5 feet by 9 feet.
The money was brought together as a mix of Cardinal Commitment funds and a fund for facility upkeep on campus. Cardinal Commitment is a $20 million fundraising effort that's been used to upgrade athletic facilities across Ball State.
Worthen Arena received a makeover this summer, also receiving a new floor and new corner scoreboards. Sandy said all the changes can help get people in the community invested into the programs that play there.
“Fans are going to come in and really see what they’ve been missing," Sandy said. "They certainly know about video boards — they’re sophisticated enough to go to other arenas and watch television — but you get used to what’s there.”
Sandy said the video board can also help with corporate sales and partners.
It can be used to enhance different parts of the game with replays, fan camera views and statistics. Commercials and contests can also be displayed to help fans become more aware of Ball State sponsors.
Worthen Arena will show off its new features for the first time when the women's volleyball team hosts the Active Ankle Challenge Aug. 28-29. Sandy said he hopes fans and recruits recognize Worthen Arena's framework as one of the nicest on campus.
“[Recruits will] say that sports are really important at Ball State, and really we’ll just seem like we’re more up to date," Sandy said.
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