Probably about 20 years too late, but the long discussed video boards are finally coming to the DAC.

The good thing about waiting is that it looks like we're getting 2020's technology here. They look pretty slick.

And if I read this correctly, they're finally replacing the 1970's lighting with new LED lights. They'll finally be able to turn off the lights and have an awesome pregame presentation.

https://drexeldragons.com/news/2022/5/31...eason.aspx

glad to see. Very nice

Was told during the women's tournament. Very excited for this upgrade. As stated, long overdue.

(05-31-2022 01:35 PM)J.B. Wrote:  Probably about 20 years too late, but the long discussed video boards are finally coming to the DAC.

The good thing about waiting is that it looks like we're getting 2020's technology here. They look pretty slick.

And if I read this correctly, they're finally replacing the 1970's lighting with new LED lights. They'll finally be able to turn off the lights and have an awesome pregame presentation.

https://drexeldragons.com/news/2022/5/31...eason.aspx

LOL...the current light were always fun. About an hour before warm-ups you had to go to the back maintenance/storage area and refer to a wall chart to see which switches needed to be flipped on to properly light the court. Each light has it's own on/off as well as a master switch for all.

One game the visiting fans delayed leaving the stands after the game and ignored my request to do so. Off to the back room and flipped the master for the center court. Wasn't that dangerous since the North and South areas were still lit. They got the hint.

Now I've made fun of Drexel for not having video boards at the DAC for years. This is just me speculating, but I think somebody in athletics once told me about the weight of these 4 screen boards and they might be too heavy for the ceiling of the DAC to hold it. By the looks of the new boards, technology has finally caught up to make them so much lighter so that the ceiling can now hold them. The boards themselves appear to be rather light, and it looks hollow inside with just a bunch of steel beams holding them up.

Inquirer wrote about the video boards today under the headline: Here’s how Drexel’s Daskalakis Athletic Center just became one of the premier sports venues in the city

Made me chuckle. I am sure the video boards are nice and all, but that seems a bit much.

Sorry for those who are behind the Inquirer pay wall...

But here's some nice Inquirer press about the upgrades to the DAC including the new video boards....

https://www.inquirer.com/college-sports/...21010.html

(10-10-2022 12:52 PM)JonP Wrote:  Inquirer wrote about the video boards today under the headline: Here’s how Drexel’s Daskalakis Athletic Center just became one of the premier sports venues in the city

Made me chuckle. I am sure the video boards are nice and all, but that seems a bit much.

Im glad I wasn't the only one. Really nice piece though, headline aside.

Since its behind a paywall, was there actually a connection to the title or some stretch that video boards makes it a desirable venue?

(10-11-2022 02:55 PM)dan10 Wrote:  Since its behind a paywall, was there actually a connection to the title or some stretch that video boards makes it a desirable venue?

It is nice but it looks like someone went to best buy and got their largest TV and mounted it to the ceiling

(10-11-2022 02:55 PM)dan10 Wrote:  Since its behind a paywall, was there actually a connection to the title or some stretch that video boards makes it a desirable venue?

Not the whole article, but some exerts that may answer (or not answer) your question.

Quote:The DAC has a capacity of 2,500 people, and in a perfect world, Kelly said, it would sell out for every game. That’s something Drexel is aiming for, and this new project could help bring the university closer to that goal.

“If we’re talking about elevating athletics and wanting to truly reimagine and engage people in different ways, especially coming out of COVID, this is kind of a welcome back to some normalcy and opportunity to be together,” Kelly said.

Quote:The goal of this project isn’t just to improve the experience for athletes. Kelly said she hopes this makes the DAC a central place on campus for everyone. She also mentioned it presents an opportunity to advance the relationships with corporate sponsors.

. While sports like basketball and wrestling will take place in the DAC, the new features allow for events like watch parties or concerts to take place.

(10-11-2022 07:55 PM)Dragon For Life Wrote:  

(10-11-2022 02:55 PM)dan10 Wrote:  Since its behind a paywall, was there actually a connection to the title or some stretch that video boards makes it a desirable venue?

It is nice but it looks like someone went to best buy and got their largest TV and mounted it to the ceiling

This is pretty state of the art. A mini version of what you're seeing the major arenas and indoor football stadiums putting up. Obviously not as fancy as the new screens at the Wells Fargo Center, but it should be perfect for the DAC. The older versions of overhead video boards like they have in Delaware are big and bulky cubes, and from what I heard, the DAC's ceiling couldn't support one. As you can tell from the DAC's board, it's pretty hollow inside, and with the video screens getting lighter and cheaper, I'm sure it's just a fraction of the weight of the screens that were installed 5-20 years ago.

(10-10-2022 12:52 PM)JonP Wrote:  Inquirer wrote about the video boards today under the headline: Here’s how Drexel’s Daskalakis Athletic Center just became one of the premier sports venues in the city

Made me chuckle. I am sure the video boards are nice and all, but that seems a bit much.

Out-of-towners aren't gonna believe me, but I swear the video boards and lighting are basically transformative. I was pretty skeptical -- as I am with pretty much all things Drexel-related -- but the DAC finally almost feels like a real arena, albeit a still-small one.

Totally agree. Many of you numnuts were poking fun of the Inquirer's article and how Drexel has been getting so excited about these upgrades.

JonP is right. The upgrades were fantastic and totally transformed the DAC. It really felt like I was in a brand new arena tonight.

But what I was even more impressed with was the complete overhaul of the gameday experience at the DAC. For years, I've complained about how stale it was, and it felt like a high school game, while so many other arenas really made their college basketball games feel like a great entertainmenet experience. Tonight's game had the feel of a professional sporting event. The video boards were used well to help interact with the crowd. I was impressed with the gameday host, who is a huge improvement from the girl who tried to do it last year. Finally, even though it was just one game, the postgame really felt like a celebration. Spiker had the players not only interact with the DAC Pack after the game, but they also walked around the entire side of the DAC and high fived anyone who was there. And finally, I was glad to see the cheerleaders back on the court for the postgame victory dance, which for the past several years was done on the sidelines. So kudos to all who were involved with all of the upgrades. Hopefully the students were impressed with the experience as well and wlll keep coming back, espeically for the big rivalry game on Tuesday vs. Penn.

(11-11-2022 10:42 PM)J.B. Wrote:  For years, I've complained about how stale it was, and it felt like a high school game, while so many other arenas really made their college basketball games feel like a great entertainmenet experience. Tonight's game had the feel of a professional sporting event.

It surprised me a ton but you're right. It just felt so much more professional. I was kinda stunned honestly. I didn't expect it to make much of a difference.