Rutgers University made history in 1869 as the winner of the first college football game in the United States against Princeton, solidifying its status as the birthplace of college football. For over 150 years, the Scarlet Knights have been instrumental in the development of the sport and continue to strive for excellence on the field, competing in the formidable Big Ten Conference. However, the audio system at SHI Stadium was not keeping up with the team's efforts.
Armed with the goal to re-energize the fanbase and enhance the gameday experience, Rutgers athletics recently revitalized its 52,454-seat SHI Stadium by introducing an innovative audio system powered by the latest AHS-series steerable loudspeaker arrays from Fulcrum Acoustic. Helping engineer and manage the project was Maryland-based integration firm, Washington Professional Systems (WPS).
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WPS worked with Anthony James Partners and Fulcrum Acoustic to engineer a stacked-array design within the south end-zone scoreboard enclosure that includes six Fulcrum AHS440 and two Fulcrum AHS460 steerable arrays along with eight Fulcrum CX1226 12-inch loudspeakers, 12 US221-4 subwoofers, and eight Fulcrum CX828 8-inch loudspeakers. The entire system is powered by 17 Powersoft Quattrocanali 8804 powered amplifiers and processed via QSC Q-SYS Core 110f DSP. Mixing duties are handled through a DiGiCo S31 digital console. WPS programmed the DSP and customized the QSC touch panel for easy access to the system controls.
The WPS team also renovated the existing infrastructure and installed new fiber optic, Ethernet, and analog line-level cabling to support the new equipment throughout the stadium. The team also added an analog backup to the audio system that interfaces with emergency broadcasting, allowing the system to mute completely for emergency notifications.
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"We are excited to join forces with Rutgers University and Anthony James Partners on this iconic stadium," said Keith Neubert, executive director of engineered systems at WPS. "The new audio system sets a new standard of excellence with its impressive coverage and quality, ensuring that SHI Stadium remains one of the premier stadiums in all of college football."
Working together with Fulcrum Acoustic's team, WPS tuned and commissioned the new audio system ahead of Rutgers' first home game of the 2022 season at SHI Stadium against the Wagner College Seahawks where the Scarlet Knights would go on to win 66-7.
