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University of Illinois Plans to Build College Sports' Largest Digital Scoreboard

  • By Matt Jones
  • 01/16/26

Key Takeaways

  • The University of Illinois is upgrading Gies Memorial Stadium with the largest digital scoreboard in college sports, featuring a 69-by-250-foot LED display set to debut before the 2026 football season.
  • The new Daktronics-built scoreboard will deliver nearly double the resolution of the existing display and be supported by comprehensive audio, broadcast, and infrastructure upgrades led by Anthony James Partners.
  • Additional stadium enhancements include 16 more LED displays throughout the venue, reinforcing a broader push to modernize the fan experience with next-generation visual and audio technology.

The University of Illinois in Champaign, IL, recently announced a series of upgrades to its Gies Memorial Stadium that will include the largest scoreboard in college sports. The university is collaborating with Anthony James Partners (AJP) for the project, which will include planning design, support, and construction services. The project also entails stadium audio and broadcast system upgrades.

The new scoreboard will measure 69 feet high by 250 feet wide, measuring in at more than 17,300 square feet of LED surface. Its 10mm pixel pitch and 16.1-million total pixels create a 195% increase in resolution from the existing technology. Completion is scheduled before the beginning of the 2026 college football season. According to the news release, it will replace the stadium's existing South End Zone display.

"This project exemplifies AJP's commitment to combining innovative design with next-generation audio technology," said Jack Covert, Anthony James Partners' vice president of audio engineering. "Gies Memorial Stadium's new system will deliver the clarity, power, and excitement today's fans expect from a premier college football venue."

Stadium-wide improvements also include 16 additional LED displays totaling more than 26,700 square feet scattered across the stadium. Alongside the upgraded technology, the stadium will undergo structural and infrastructure coordination to accommodate the main scoreboard's size.

The university chose Daktronics to provide the LED display after a "competitive procurement process," the news release reported.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

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