Progress on TCU's Amon G. Carter Stadium Continues After Streak of Bad Weather The multimillion-dollar expansion will be completed in time for the 2020 season By Kristian Hernandez, Associate Editor
Thursday, October 17, 2019 - 10:27 am
Print This Story
Story Highlights
Texas Christian University (TCU) football has had its fair share of greats since its inception in 1896. The Davey O'Brien Award, given to the best collegiate quarterback in the nation, is the namesake of the institution's first Heisman Trophy winner. At the NFL level, LaDainian Tomlinson is a Pro Football Hall of Famer and considered one of the greatest halfbacks of all time.
TCU is updating Amon G. Carter Stadium to the tune of $100 million.
To match the legacy of these individuals and the program, as well as to satisfy the voracious appetite of Horned Frog fans, Amon G. Carter Stadium is continuing a $100 million expansion project whose completion has been impeded by rough weather in the area.
We managed to get the new videoboard installation done in time for our first game [vs. Arkansas - Pine Bluff on Saturday, Aug. 31] since that was the first priority, says Drew Dennison, director, video production, TCU. The new suites that are being installed are not done yet, but, other than the televisions that will be in those suites, all other visible videoboard displays are complete and fully operational.
The Best for Frog Fans: Upgraded Videoboard Improves Visuals
As with anything in Texas, bigger is always better. In 2012, Amon G. Carter Stadium went through a $164 million rebuild to coincide with the university's first season in the Big 12 conference. Seven years later, TCU's latest construction is led by completion of the main videoboard at the north end zone. The 108- x 48-ft. LED display covering 5,500 sq. ft. of vertical space was facilitated by Southpaw Sports & Entertainment (formerly the Live Event portion of Panasonic's Sports and Entertainment Business Unit). With Southpaw on board, the university underwent a transformation that entailed getting the production crew up to speed and transitioning the style of content that would be used on the videoboard.
We had to do a mixture of in-house creation for Creatives, a tech company that came in and worked with our [ChyronHego ClickEffects] CrossFire representatives, says Dennison. We also hired out-of-house, local artists that were able to develop our display for the videoboard. We moved from physical sponsorship on the old board for six permanent sponsors to a digital platform as a lower third.
The mechanics of the in-venue show is done onsite in a strip studio above the press boxes inside the stadium. On the west side of the field, the operations room is using ClickEffects CrossFire and Blaze systems for sponsorship graphics and has nearly full visibility of all available LED displays (except the west-side boards, which are directly below it) on game day.
The actual game production is facilitated by an offsite team located in the J.M. Moudy North Visual Arts and Communication Building. Inside the control room, camera replays and switching are connected to the stadium via fiber.
Altering the Philosophy: Installation Prompts New Tradition
At the collegiate level, traditions run deep. As the architectural landscape shifts, though, the in-venue production team adapts customs and philosophies to capitalize on the stadium's new toys.
Our game-day production has changed because of [this project], says Dennison. The biggest operational change would have to be in the pregame. We implemented an earlier approach to the intro video; it's no longer calling the team out. Our newest installation was three tunnel cameras: when the intro video completes, we lead our fans into a chant, and we're able to cut into live tunnel shots that show the team coming out and getting ready in the tunnel. That's kind of a new tradition we're trying to build here.
Football broadcasts are produced by an offsite studio inside J.M. Moudy North Visual Arts and Communication Building.
In addition to in-game execution, preparation for prepackaged content has changed as well. In a more open stadium, constant audio problems prevented videoboard material from being sound-based. Now the creatives on staff can leverage their new audio-friendly confines.
We would avoid making video content that was narrative or voiceover driven, Dennison recalls. [After] our initial testing before our first game, the acoustics are miles better. We've had no complaints. In the past, we might've heard a few things.
Inside Reimagined Frog Alley: Getting Crowds To Arrive Earlier
As with many professional venues across the country, organizations have poured money into developing surrounding live-entertainment districts. In the collegiate circuit, that out-of-stadium activity before (and sometimes after) the game has been affectionately known throughout history as the tailgate. The Grove at Ole Miss is one legendary locale that attracts fans and their festivities before doors open. Frog Alley, the go-to spot for TCU fans prior to all home games, is still going strong during the current season and will expand towards Amon G. Carter's east side when construction wraps up to provide even more fun. Starting three hours before kickoff, some of these amenities include food, drinks, live music by the TCU Marching Band, and the opportunity to welcome the team into the stadium.
Since we are elevating the stadium on the east side, Frog Alley also gets a facelift, says Dennison. [The expansion] will create a better game-day experience and [can] also potentially draw revenue and retain more people at the stadium during the pregame.
Construction Continues: Expansion Injects Atmosphere Sound and Comfort
The new seating area may not be populated unti
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
01/12/2025
L3Harris and PentenAmio formalise their teaming agreement at MilCIS 2025, streng...
01/12/2025
Artemis II is NASA's first crewed flight test of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft. The crew, from left: Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Vic...
01/12/2025
IRVINE, Calif. Wooden Camera has introduced its new Accessory Collection for the Canon EOS C50. The new lineup includes a low-profile, gimbal-ready cage, expand...
01/12/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission has released a tentative agenda for its Dec. 18 Open Commission Meeting that will include a vote on a report an...
01/12/2025
In most years, a graph of annual local TV ad spending is about as predictable as an electrocardiogram of a reasonably healthy patient in a doctor's office. ...
01/12/2025
Many industries have seen big-ticket hardware turn into software. Switchers, though, demand a combination of real-time performance and sheer bandwidth that has ...
01/12/2025
GENEVA Shanghai will host the next quadrennial Radiocommunication Assembly (RA-27) and World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-27), Oct. 11-Nov. 12, 2027. This...
01/12/2025
NEW YORK Just in time for Giving Tuesday tomorrow (Dec. 2), the Broadcasters Foundation of America is seeking out donations to help television and radio industr...
01/12/2025
STOCKHOLM, Sweden Net Insight CEO Crister Fritzson has informed the company's board that he will retire from the video transport and media cloud technology ...
01/12/2025
The prequel to the global hit Sky Original mob crime saga, Gomorrah' is a s...
01/12/2025
Featuring Florence Welch, Red Hot Chilli Peppers' Flea, designer Bella Freud...
01/12/2025
Back to All News
A Down to Earth, All Too Relatable Hero: Cashero' Teaser ...
01/12/2025
In the rush to deliver content to every screen, many broadcasters overlook one of the most crucial steps in the workflow: format and frame rate conversion. Get ...
01/12/2025
Fox Corporation Chief Financial Officer Steve Tomsic to Participate in Upcoming ...
01/12/2025
Arvato Systems' Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) Receives BSI C5 Certification (T...
01/12/2025
Summary This short video gives you an summary of the changes in under two minutes.
--...
01/12/2025
As the festive season approaches, RT Supporting the Arts is proud to showcase a...
01/12/2025
Researchers worldwide rely on open-source technologies as the foundation of their work. To equip the community with the latest advancements in digital and physi...
01/12/2025
Festive specials of Christmas in Kilmainham presented by Marty Whelan, High Road Low Road, Callan Kicks the Year and Keys to My Life
Ring in the New Year with ...
01/12/2025
Architect and television presenter Hugh Wallace, best known to RT audiences as a long-serving judge on Home of the Year, has died at the age of 68.
In a state...
28/11/2025
Nadia Fall attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Brides at the Egyptian Theatre on January 24, 2025, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Donyale West/...
28/11/2025
It's easy to ignore those little red update available badges. But when it ...
28/11/2025
WASHINGTON Federal Communications Commission has released a tentative agenda for the December Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 18, 2025 ...
28/11/2025
The Professional Fighters League is looking to super-serve fans of mixed martial...
28/11/2025
Fubo has released in beta on select Roku devices a new feature that lets users display up to four simultaneous streams at once....
28/11/2025
The WNBA playoffs and Week 4 of the NFL regular season highlight the list of live sports events airing on television this weekend....
28/11/2025
The 32nd class of honorees to the B+C Hall of Fame took to the stage at New York's Ziegfeld Ballroom on September 26 for a gala induction event. Click below...
28/11/2025
We hold in our hands the very last Next Text for Next TV, the weekly back-and-fo...
28/11/2025
DirecTV said it made a deal with EchoStar to buy EchoStar's video businesses, including satellite-TV provider Dish TV and virtual MVPD Sling TV, for $1 plus...
28/11/2025
The Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame, the premier industry event paying tribute to the influencers, innovators and shining lights of broadcast, cable and streami...
28/11/2025
Friday 28 November 2025
Sky Sports x Slawn drop limited-edition football jersey...
28/11/2025
Rohde & Schwarz shows resilience in a challenging environment, revenue exceeds t...
28/11/2025
Unwrapped: The Toy Show Appeal - airing this Sunday on RT One and RT Player- s...
27/11/2025
LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...
27/11/2025
Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Netflix's Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders Marks a Grand...
27/11/2025
27 Nov 2025
GSMA brings M360 Eurasia 2026 to Samarkand in partnership with VEON...
27/11/2025
Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle star in the gripping six-part Sky Original from Acad...
27/11/2025
Thursday 27 November 2025
Sky Arts Reveals the Nation's Greatest Basslines - and Queen Reign Supreme
The UK's most iconic basslines have been revealed...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With O...
27/11/2025
The media industry has a paradox at its core. It's an industry built on light, color and imagination, yet behind the scenes, it's powered by one of the ...
27/11/2025
Rating reflects rating progress across areas including policies, diversity & inclusion, health & safety and Net Zero leadership
Winchester, UK, 27 November 202...
27/11/2025
What are the industry standards for Retail Media? Kathryn explains that certification is based on the IAB Europe Retail Media Measurement Standards and the IAB ...
27/11/2025
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
27/11/2025
Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...
26/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...
26/11/2025
A cinematic snow sculpture at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Randall Michelson...
Progress on TCU's Amon G. Carter Stadium Continues After Streak of Bad Weather The multimillion-dollar expansion will be completed in time for the 2020 season By Kristian Hernandez, Associate Editor 
