This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Utah Athletic Director Chris Hill told The Tribune on Tuesday that the U. plans to install a new south end zone scoreboard at Rice-Eccles Stadium by the start of the 2015 football season.
The scoreboard will be larger and have a higher-quality picture than the current one, Hill said. The sound system — which Hill admits is currently bad — will also be improved.
"Just making sure that we give our fans the right experience," he said.
Hill gave a rough cost estimate of $4 million to $6 million. He said it's a "standalone project," and has nothing to do with whether Utah will or won't expand the stadium at the south end.
Earlier this week, a news release said that the U. has added a row of bleachers in the standing room areas in the east, west and north sections of the stadium, expanding the capactiy from 45,017 to 45,807, and surpassing Oregon State's Reser Stadium as the 10th-largest in the Pac-12.
The U. was also recently in the process of rebuilding the north end zone corner scoreboards to feature larger video screens that will display the text of P.A. announcements, for those with hearing disorders. The U. estimated the cost of those screens at $400,000. The Tribune was told that they are not intended to be used for game highlights.
— Matthew Piper
Twitter: @matthew_piper