North Dakota and Ralph Engelstad Arena will feature a brand-new center-hung video display and additional arena upgrades for the 2019-20 season.
The new center-hung video display will measure approximately 15.5 feet high by 34 feet wide per side and offer a massive 2,100 square feet viewing experience for spectators.
The new video display will be a modified square shape in that it has four equal sides, but each side will be curved and each of the corners will also be curved. The seamless circumference of the new video display is 135 feet with curved sides and curved corners. The display will feature six mm pixel spacing to bring high-resolution imagery to every seat in the arena. The display is capable of variable content zoning allowing it to show one large image, or be divided into multiple zones to show any combination of live video, instant replays, up-to-the-minute statistics, graphics, animations and/or sponsorship messages.
As a base of reference, the Ralph Engelstad Arena’s current video boards on the current video display are approximately each nine feet high by 16 feet wide.
The center-hung configuration will also include an upper video ring measuring 145.5 feet in circumference and a lower video ring measuring 129 feet in circumference, with both rings measuring three feet in height. Two additional underbelly video boards, each measuring 9.5 feet high by 11.5 feet wide, are for those seated closest to the ice behind both the player benches and penalty boxes.
“We are constantly searching for ways to enhance the fan experience,” said arena GM Jody Hodgson in a news release. “Our new center-hung video board will be the biggest and best in all of college hockey. It will provide approximately four times the amount of video space compared with our current display. Consistent with Mr. Engelstad’s original wishes, every fan, in every seat, will have the same viewing experience because of the square dimensions and rounded corners selected for our new video board.
“We’re not going to stop with a new video board. Our goal is to create the most digitally advanced hockey arena in the country. The new fascia, new entrance displays, new control room, new cameras, and new lighting system are going to be fantastic improvements for our fans. The lighting system will produce a theater-like atmosphere for players and spectators, while also significantly reducing energy consumption.”
In addition to the new center-hung video display, all of the following arena upgrades will also be made during the summer of 2019:
– A new LED ribbon display will be mounted to the seating bowl fascia to replace the existing fascia ribbon. The new fascia ribbon will measure 2.5 feet high by 889 feet long. The new fascia ribbon will feature 10 mm pixel spacing and will provide significantly improved imagery when compared to the current fascia ribbon.
– 33 new LED video displays will be installed above entrances to the seating bowl. Each of the 34 new displays will measure two feet high by six feet wide. These displays will feature 10 mm line spacing and allow for the opportunity to provide supplemental information to the main displays and game presentation, as well as the opportunity to highlight sponsors during events.
– A new media control room, including new high-definition cameras, will be installed to allow the arena to maximize the technological improvements associated with the new video boards.
– A new state of the art LED lighting system will be installed in the arena bowl. It will provide a truly customized lighting solution, meeting the needs of players, spectators, and fans watching UND home games around the world. The Ralph will partner with Musco Lighting on the new LED lighting system which will drastically reduce glare, enhance playability for the athletes, and offer the highest quality light for high-definition broadcasts.
– Current video boards on the top row of the current center-hung will be moved to both the North and South ends of the arena.
The total project cost is estimated to be $6 million. The Engelstad Foundation has committed $4 million to the project and the remaining $2 million will be provided from the Ralph Engelstad Arena’s long-term repair and replacement reserve fund.
