Planar TVF incorporates AV technology in Mountaineers football

In the Hall of Traditions, the lobby and changing rooms of the Milan Puskar Center of the West Virginia University seven videowall have been installed, configured with the screens planar TVF.

the Milan Puskar Center has been renovated to get one of the best football facilities in the country. Among the improvements made, the new videowall stand out, configured with the screens Planar TVF, of the Hall of Traditions, the lobby and changing rooms.

the West Virginia University (West Virginia University – WVU) has recently presented its renovated Milan Puskar Center, Home of Mountaineers football. The project includes a series of improvements and new additions, such as the modernization of the changing rooms and the team's rest room, the improvement of the athletic training room and the new hydrotherapy center, the refurbishment of the coaches' offices and an exhibition space.

Updates serve to transform the experience of football players, while attracting fans and sponsors. In addition, the project provides the university's football program with a new competitive advantage to recruit top talent, with new facilities that rival those of other programs of the Big 12 Conference.

The design and the brand play a fundamental role in the renewed environment and include Planar's Led videowall technology.

“This has been the most complete renovation we have ever done and that directly benefits our football program.”, Explains April Messerly, WVU Senior Associate Director of Athletics for Capital Projects, facilities and event management. “Our vision was to make the Puskar Centre up-to-date and one of the best football facilities in the country.”.

Hall of Traditions

The history and passion of Mountaineers football are celebrated in the Hall of Traditions of the Puskar Center. Formerly located at the back of the building, the renovation gave the WVU the opportunity to give the exhibition a makeover and move it to the main entrance. Redesigned look fuses historical memorabilia and trophy displays with digital elements to create an immersive experience for Mountaineers fans.

The centerpiece of the new Hall of Traditions is a Led videowall of the TVF series of Planar de 3,5 meters long and almost a meter high with a pixel pitch of 2,5 Mm (TVF2.5) in a configuration of 19×8.

Installed by BrightTree Studios, the large Led videowall serves for various uses and incorporates an interactive component for the participation of fans.

Powering a touch football console, visitors can explore the highlights of WVU football on the screen, including some of the team's biggest wins and most historic moments.

“The Hall of Traditions is essentially our WVU football museum”, clarifies Messerly. “Talk about interacting with fans, but with the ability to easily change what we want to show on the big board, can become a space for recruitment weekends or fundraising events. Technology really adds a dimension of flexibility that we didn't have before.”.

In addition to providing an outreach feature and an area to take promoters to on match days, the Hall of Traditions represents the starting point of the WVU recruitment route, according to BrightTree Studios Principal Consultant, David Vargo. “The video wall attracts students as soon as they set foot inside, and as they make their way through the Puskar Center and, ultimately, to the changing rooms, technology follows them to attract them.”

Led videowall of the lobby

Passing the Hall of Traditions and entering the building is the lobby area, where BrightTree has installed a Led videowall of the TVF series of Planar in vertical orientation that measures almost 3 meters long by 5 high, in a configuration of 6×15 with a pixel pitch of 2,5 Mm (TVF2.5).

Located right next to a two-story open staircase, provides the WVU with a large digital canvas that can be easily customized, according to Vargo. “Can display branded content, welcome messages or highlights in a window. It has a lot of fonts”.

“This is our wow factor”, clarifies Messerly. “It's idçoneo for our recruits to see, but also for sponsors and premium guests. Match days, people who have premium seating in our Hartley Club area pass in front of this video wall. We can display personalized content aimed at both groups”.

Experience of the changing rooms

WVU's commitment to its football program and its players is evident in the renovation carried out in the changing rooms, where five Led videowalls Planar TVF1,5 turn a previously obsolete space into a dynamic and technology-filled environment.

The facilities include a main videowall of almost 14×0,65 metre (in 8×6) flanked by four video walls end cap located at the end of a row of lockers in portrait orientation, each of 0.37×0,65 metre (in 4×6).

For the transmission of contents, BrightTree has incorporated a show production software from the manufacturer of multimedia servers Green Hippo, allowing the WVU to play synchronized videos on screens, ideal for recruiting staff or generating expectation before the match.

“Videos are programmed to play synchronously with music, match audio and Led lighting”, explains Vargo. “It's like turning the locker room into a nightclub.”.

To protect video walls during pre-game preparations or post-game celebrations, BrightTree specified a Planar Ero-Led (Extended Ruggedness and Optics), a patented protective coating that adds durability to displays.

Other articles on BrightTree Studios, Milanb Puskar Center, Green Hippo, Planar Systems, West Virginia University