Gies Memorial Stadium, home to the University of Illinois Fighting Illini college football team, got a massive technology upgrade from Anthony James Partners (AJP) encompassing LED displays, audio, broadcast and high-density Wi-Fi. The stadium-wide technology upgrades were showcased at the Thursday night college football home opener, as Illinois hosted UAB,.
[Friday Night Lights, Camera, Action!]
The centerpiece is a new South End Zone video board, which AJP boasts is the largest and highest-resolution primary scoreboard in college sports based on physical footprint and absolute pixel count. While the display provides the most visible transformation, AJP’s work extended throughout Gies Memorial Stadium, integrating the display, audio, broadcast, and connectivity systems into a comprehensive technology program designed to serve Illinois Athletics well beyond the current upgrade.
“Projects of this scale are never about a single system,” said Michael Rowe, chief executive officer of Anthony James Partners. “The goal is to look at the venue as a whole and design an integrated technology system that goes well beyond the video display—from the broadcast systems that drive it to the sound, Wi-Fi and infrastructure that support the fans and the overall experience. It’s about putting the right pieces in place today while creating a foundation for what that experience can evolve into over the next decade. The University established an ambitious goal for Gies Memorial Stadium, and we’re proud to have helped bring that vision to life.”
The new South End Zone display measures approximately 69x250 feet, providing more than 17,300 square feet of active display area. Featuring a 10mm pixel pitch and approximately 16.1 million pixels, the display provides nearly 195% greater resolution than the previous video board.
The installation is the centerpiece of a larger LED program, which was awarded to Daktronics, encompassing 16 displays and more than 26,700 square feet of LED technology throughout Gies Memorial Stadium. The project includes the South End Zone video board, ribbon displays, auxiliary displays, and additional LED elements designed to provide a cohesive visual experience throughout the venue.
AJP designed the supporting structure for the new South End Zone video board and managed the structural engineering process, with LBYD Engineers providing structural engineering services.
AJP designed a ground-up replacement of the stadium’s sound reinforcement system to deliver improved speech intelligibility, powerful full-range sound and consistent coverage throughout Gies Memorial Stadium. Integrated with the new South End Zone video board, the audio system, installed by C.V. Lloyd Audio Visual, creates a unified game presentation platform designed to serve every seat in the venue.
At the center of the system is a large-scale point-source array featuring Fulcrum Acoustic AHS digitally steerable loudspeaker technology. The system allows sound energy to be precisely shaped and directed throughout the seating bowl while minimizing unwanted reflections and acoustic interference. A distributed loudspeaker network supplements the main system in under-deck and acoustically shadowed seating areas, with the systems precisely time-aligned to provide natural, consistent and intelligible sound throughout the stadium.
The modernization extends beyond the seating bowl, with new audio systems serving concourses, support areas, and the stadium grounds, as well as portable field systems for pregame activities, ceremonies and special events. A dedicated HVAC-conditioned technical room within the video board structure protects amplification, processing and other critical electronics from temperature extremes, humidity and weather exposure, improving reliability and protecting the University’s long-term technology investment.
AJP’s broadcast modernization work was completed in phases over two years and included both the University’s production control environment and broadcast infrastructure throughout Gies Memorial Stadium. TAB-M Solutions served as the control room integrator, while C.V. Lloyd Audio Visual served as the broadcast cabling integrator.
The first phase included a complete redesign and rebuild of the existing production control room, transitioning the system from legacy 3G baseband technology to a SMPTE ST 2110 IP-based architecture and upgrading production from 1080i to 1080p. The new infrastructure also establishes a pathway to 4K production when Illinois Athletics is ready to make that transition.
At Gies Memorial Stadium, Phase One included the first stage of new broadcast cabling throughout the football stadium. Phase Two expanded that infrastructure for the 2026–27 season and included rebuilding the television broadcast interface panels at the truck dock to modernize connectivity between the stadium and television production trucks.
Together, the control room and stadium infrastructure upgrades provide Illinois Athletics with a modern production environment while establishing the infrastructure required to support expanded video capabilities and future production needs. The ST 2110 architecture allows the production team to transition to 4K when operationally appropriate without requiring another fundamental rebuild of the underlying production infrastructure.
AJP’s high-density Wi-Fi program included a greenfield deployment across approximately 90 percent of Gies Memorial Stadium and surrounding spaces, along with upgrades to existing premium and back-of-house coverage. The new seating bowl solution includes approximately 900 under-seat access points housed in environmental enclosures to provide high-density wireless coverage throughout the venue.
MSB Consulting Engineers was awarded the engineering, installation and maintenance of the high-density Wi-Fi solution.
