The scoreboard has reams of new features that will improve the football fans' experiences at Memorial Field. In addition to high-definition video capabilities, it will also provide game statistics, colorful animations and sponsor recognition. The massive new Daktronics scoreboard stands 16 feet high and 23 feet across, and will be placed in the south end zone.
The new scoreboard is replacing the 17 year-old scoreboard donated by the Class of 1966. The LED video display should be ready by the Homecoming football game against Yale University on Oct. 12, if not by the season opener against the College of the Holy Cross on the night of Sept. 28.
"We are extremely grateful to Steve Lewinstein and his family for providing this terrific enhancement to Memorial Field," athletic director Harry Sheehy said. "The video screen will definitely add another level of excitement to our home football games, and I'm sure our fans will especially enjoy seeing replays of key action right after it happens."
Stephen Lewinstein '63, a part owner of the Boston Celtics and Italian football club AS Roma, has strong ties to Dartmouth and the athletic community. His son Marc Lewinstein is a member of the Class of 1998.
"I'm thrilled that the project is coming to reality," Lewinstein said. "I still come to Hanover to watch as many football games as I can."
The process of obtaining municipal permission for the new scoreboard proved inordinately complex since the town's zoning ordinance did not contain any mention of a permanent video display. Last May, Hanover voted on a zoning amendment that would allow the College to seek permission for the video board from Hanover's zoning and planning boards. Eighty-one percent of voters supported the amendment before the project was approved in July, clearing the way for the new scoreboard.
Football team members are impressed by the new scoreboard, though they have not yet seen it in action. The size and technology of the new video board mark a drastic improvement from Dartmouth's old scoreboard.
"The scoreboard looks great and we're all excited about it," Thomas Militello '16 said. "They're adding a huge high-def screen up there, so it'll make it much more interesting for the fans watching the games, which is exciting for both us and the fans."
The scoreboard has turned heads beyond Dartmouth.
"The scoreboard was definitely a big improvement from what they had last year," Middlebury College sophomore and offensive lineman James Wang said. "Middlebury plays all NESCAC schools and none of them have a scoreboard like that, so it was cool to come to Dartmouth and see it."
The new scoreboard is the first update to Memorial Field since 2011, when lights were added to the field to allow for night play. The field was originally built in 1893 and received extensive renovations in 2006 that expanded its seating capacity to 13,000 spectators.
"Some of the schools we travel to have scoreboards like the one we have and some don't," Militello said. "I just think it shows that we're taking it to the next level with this addition to our stadium."
