Anthony James Partners (AJP) was the technology consultant for the new Ryan Field at Northwestern University, where the firm led the planning, design, procurement, and implementation oversight of the stadium’s broadcast production and LED display systems. The new Ryan Field hosted its inaugural football game on Friday, Oct. 2. The game took place exactly 100 years to the day after the original stadium hosted its first football game in 1926.
AJP has worked on the redevelopment since the early stages of stadium technology planning, designing the broadcast and LED systems while coordinating the architectural, infrastructure and building requirements necessary to integrate those systems throughout the new venue.
“It’s great to see a collegiate venue leading rather than following what professional stadiums are doing," said Michael Rowe, CEO of Anthony James Partners. "They took a different approach from the beginning. They bucked trends, thought outside the box, and were committed to delivering a professional stadium experience. The result is one of the best display and production environments in collegiate sports.”
At the center of the broadcast program is a new 1080p/3G production control room, designed alongside the camera systems, broadcast positions, and supporting technology infrastructure to support game day production throughout Ryan Field.
The new production environment incorporates Grass Valley cameras and production switching, Evertz routing and replay technology, Ross Video display control and graphics integration, and a comprehensive wireless camera system. The production system was developed not only for Ryan Field operations, but with the ability to support broader production and videoboard operations across Northwestern Athletics over time. ZTransform was awarded the broadcast systems integration package.
AJP also designed and managed the procurement of the stadium’s comprehensive LED display program, beginning with extensive modeling, placement studies and sightline analysis to integrate the displays into the architecture of the new venue.
The program includes more than 7,000 square feet of LED video technology, anchored by two 45x100-foot-wide, 8mm end-zone displays. More than 2,400 linear feet of LED ribbon extends throughout the stadium, including a nearly 1,200-foot mid-bowl display that follows the upper concourse and an additional 1,270 linear feet of ribbon displays.
Additional displays include a 1.2mm outdoor LED display measuring approximately 9x24 feet in the North Great Hall, along with multiple displays integrated into the stadium vomitories. The overall video package also includes approximately 275 indoor and outdoor televisions and 50 play clocks and locker room clocks.
AJP worked with the project team from early concept development through detailed design and procurement, evaluating display dimensions, viewing angles, content presentation and integration with broadcast and game-production operations. The work also required detailed coordination of display locations, mounting and support conditions, concrete embeds, guardrails, MEP requirements and other interfaces between the technology systems and the building. SNA Displays was the awarded LED manufacturer and integrator.
Rather than approaching the videoboards and broadcast control room as independent systems, the Ryan Field program was developed around the relationship between the venue’s production infrastructure and the displays it drives.
The control room, camera systems, and LED display infrastructure were designed together to support live game presentation, in-venue content and broadcast production while providing the flexibility for Northwestern Athletics to expand its production model in the future. AJP also led a competitive procurement process for the Ryan Field technology systems, developing technical specifications, managing vendor proposals, and interviews, and supporting Northwestern through final selection and implementation.
This article originally appeared on TV Tech sister brand AV Network.
