I approached Jim Schaus tonight at the Bobcat Caravan stop in Cincinnati and asked him, "What would it take to get a hanging scoreboard/video board in the Convo?" His response was simple and direct: "$1 million."

He said he shared my belief that it would be a big-time addition and said he'd love to see it. He said that an engineering study would have to be done to determine how much weight the roof could hold, but he also said that most scoreboards these days are light enough that there likely wouldn't be an issue.

He also mentioned the alternate idea of just installing video boards. He said there was one (or was it more?) that were used during graduation this spring and that maybe something along those lines could work. Another thread threw out the idea of those being installed in both "end zones," if you will.

I didn't get the sense this was Priority No. 1 right now for him -- maybe still a few years out. I suggested that starting a "campaign" to raise money could help, something along the lines of the Walter Fieldhouse or football/basketball locker room renovations of recent years. He kind of nodded along when I said that, though he wasn't promising such a campaign. I think putting this out there as a campaign and getting some visibility for it would go a LONG way toward getting that $1 million.

In today's athletics, $1 million isn't that much. He talked about other renovations in the works, such as painting around the outside, and new seats being installed within a couple years. That's all great, but I continue to believe the last and BIGGEST thing the Convo needs to look "big time" in 2014 is a video scoreboard, preferably right above center court.

Feedback, anyone?

This idea i like.  

I really think that the hanging scoreboard brings a big-time feel to the arena.

As for weight, the hanging units that I have seen are not a solid piece anyway. They are actually four separate thin scoreboards, each facing out in four directions.

I'm all for the idea, but the scoreboard needs to be designed to present additional useful information to the fans to be worth the cost, such as individual scoring, text messages concerning other stats and other information, video highlights, video from other MAC games, etc.

We have an overhanging scoreboard here at South Alabama which looks very neat, but provides nothing extra for the fans. It shows the score, number of team fouls, etc. which any scoreboard can show. As for video, the screen shows only live video of the game, which is absolutely worthless since you are watching the game live on the court anyway, and then shows commercials during time outs.
The hanging scoreboard displays no individual scoring (we have that on other separate scoreboards on the balcony facings), no stats, no messages relevant to the game, and no video replays or highlights. Thus it is just a basic scoreboard hanging over center court.

I have been noticing this more and more every day.  I drive by the Convo at least twice a day coming to and going home from work.  I even noticed the side facing away from the river has spots that look like there's some green mold/algae of some kind on the lower portions of the side.  The old girl could use a cleaning and paint job to get rejuvenated a little.

Great idea poor execution. One of those good examples. I agree with those who put the seats and sprucing up as first priority. The over head board thing with me has always been those who put the "weight" argument out there with no actual data.....I have always felt that is a bad answer without proof.

I think the overhead board is a great marketing tool and the longer we wait the more tech comes along and the more we benefit in the long run. Streaming tweets and instagrams are a great idea. Replays and camera work are a good idea but that would imply that the product being put out *inside* the convo is of sufficient quality to do that. Marketing would probably love to have the ability to do some things with an overhead board.

One of our OHIO alums is part of the Ball State tickets and marketing arm now. We sat at dinner last night and bounced ideas around and I realized how much further along OHio is than BSU in many respects as far as marketing and tickets/Bobcat club and the general gameday experience are.

DXer....if you would please stop down and introduce yourself to Coach Archey. Tell him TOmmy Freeman's dad sent you over. I don't know your relationship with USA but I am sure he will give you some time and talk if you are a fan. That is a pretty good group with Darnell, Nored, Graves and the bunch. Indiana guys who love to talk hoops.

Would using a projector make a difference? There would be no wiring behind the screen. Hanging the projector from the rafters should not be a concern from a weight standpoint. The resolution should be pretty good as well.

So in this whole discussion, what will those of us in attendance gain?  What is the value add?  What are the benefits of adding a hanging board or video boards?  I've been in the Convo since 1979 and I'm not sure what this will add to the "experience."   All I want to see is a Bobcat win and 70 points so that we can all get "lave cake."

With larger crowds and different placement of cheer leaders and the addition of court side seats the current scoreboards are difficult to see from many locations.  There is almost always something blocked by various groups of people or just because of site lines.

where I sit I am seldom ever able to see the foul count on a player or the point count of a player.  

Most of the time I am listening to the game on Tune-in radio so I know, but it is still annoying.  I would love to see ANY improvement in the display of pertinent game information in a manner that everyone has the opportunity to see it.

I am not particular as to what the improvement is and I am one who would not be opposed to helping pay for it in the cost of tickets or other methods over the next few years.  But what do I know.

I'd be happy if they left the most recent scoring/foul stats up a little longer than 10 seconds on the scoreboards we have. I'd also enjoy the opportunity to actually see the screens instead of 8-10 people constantly standing on the "No Standing" lines directly in front of the boards.

I know a lot of folks want the new video boards, but seat upholstery, paint, sound systems and sprucing up the entrance of the Convo should be higher priorities. I just don't think we have the cash to do the video boards any time soon.

Have you been to a big-time college basketball game before? The scoreboard is a huge atmosphere builder.

Schaus not being a fan of sponsors? You don't get to the position he's in without being a fan of sponsorship. I would argue he's not a fan because he doesn't have as many as he wants. They provide the cash flow.

That's my observation, too.  When idiots stand in front of the current scoreboards they block a lot of it.  It's not an "all game every game" problem, but there's times in seemingly every game when people are standing in front of the current scoreboards and I can't see them very well.