The Daktronics Experience

Join Justin and Matt as they look back on a big month for Daktronics. From the University of Richmond upgrading the Robins Center with a new display system and Park Outdoor celebrating its 50th digital billboard, to an upcoming Women in Sports event and Dak Prescott’s gift transforming Haughton High School, there’s plenty to cover. We also recap the three podcast episodes released in November, featuring insights on game presentation, DakClassroom and major display upgrades.

Links:

• Park Outdoor Celebrates 50th Digital Billboard with High-Visibility Upgrade Near Syracuse
• Women In Sports Online Event in December to Focus On Fostering an Environment of Excellence
  • Registration Link: https://www.daktronics.com/en-us/events/women-in-sports
• University of Richmond Upgrades Robins Center with Daktronics Display System
• Prescott Field: How Dak Prescott’s Gift Sparked a New Era at Haughton High
• (VIDEO) Prescott Field Dedication at Haughton High School

Matt and Justin sit down with Mary Rathburn, Assistant AD for Marketing and Fan Engagement at Elon University, and Patrick Cunningham, Director of Live Broadcast Production for Elon Sports Vision. to take you behind the scenes of how a mid-major athletic department runs a broadcast operation, video board show and fan experience strategy all at once, and often from the same control room. From student-run productions to viral in-game moments, this episode is a deep dive into what it really takes to produce a modern college athletics experience.

Topics Covered

• How Elon runs broadcast and in-venue production simultaneously
• Why preparation off the field is the secret to smooth game days
• How a two-person marketing staff drives fan experience across 17 sports
• The role students play in producing over 135 broadcasts per year
• How Elon’s centralized control room handles multiple venues
• What “idea hacking” means — and why great producers steal (the right way)
• The story behind the viral free-throw distraction moment
• How student crews won a national broadcast award
• Why the “Snack Cam” should never be allowed
• How support systems and testing keep things running smoothly
• Why being willing to fail is critical to creativity
• How video boards are being used for:
  • Fan engagement
  • Sponsor value
  • Weather updates
  • Game timing information

Links:

• Elon Sports Vision captures first College Sports Media Award
• 244 – Hitting the Ice at the University of Minnesota Duluth with Dylon Field
• 39 - The Importance of Video Displays in Minor League Baseball with Katie Dannemiller (Greensboro Grasshoppers)

In this episode, we’re joined by Lucas Dahlberg, Game Presentation talent and student at the University of St. Thomas. Lucas shares how his journey began with running a high school video board and quickly grew into building full game-day productions, leading student crews, and now working hands-on in a brand-new D1 facility.

He talks through his progression from Elk River High School to St. Thomas, what it was like opening a brand-new arena, and how he landed a role with the Minnesota Wild… all before finishing his first year of college.

Lucas also breaks down how he builds shows using Daktronics tools like Show Control, what he’s learned from watching productions at every level, and why giving students access and ownership is so important for growing the industry.

Topics Covered

• How Lucas got his start with video boards as a high school freshman
• Growing an entire student-run events team from scratch
• Transitioning to the University of St. Thomas and producing D1-level shows
• Building the first-ever game presentation for the new Lee & Penny Anderson Arena
• Working promotions for the Minnesota Wild and how that changed his perspective
• Idea “hacking” — pulling inspiration from pro venues and college gamedays
• The tools he uses every day, including Daktronics Show Control
• Advice for students and schools wanting to get into live event production

Whether you're in athletics, production, or just love hearing about passionate young talent in sports, Lucas’s story is a great look at the next generation of game-day creators.

Links:

• University of St. Thomas Athletics: https://tommiesports.com/ 
• DakClassroom: ht tps://www.daktronics.com/en-us/markets/sports/high-schools/dakclassroom
• Camino: https://www.daktronics.com/en-us/products/software-and-controllers/show-control/products/camino 
• Show Control: https://www.daktronics.com/en-us/products/software-and-controllers/show-control 

To hear all about connecting with students at the high school level for video production, we spoke with Kyle Sydow, Daktronics High School Park and Rec Market Manager. He dives into DakClassroom, what it is and does, and what it provides for students and their communities. We also cover how this solution impacts high schools, colleges and even the professional levels of sports. 

Links:

• 227 – Capitalizing on Future Opportunities via Crew Connect with Brandon Shih
• DakClassroom Webpage: https://www.daktronics.com/en-us/markets/sports/high-schools/dakclassroom 

Diving into the LED display upgrades for the Charlotte Knights, Justin and Matt are joined by Dan Rajkowski, Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, and Chris Poindexter, Director of Game Presentation and Production. They give the inside story for getting a new display system for the 2025 baseball season including the installation timeline, system capabilities and using Show Control with Camino. They even describe how they customized the production as the season went along.

Links:

• News Release: https://www.daktronics.com/news/charlotte-knights-revamp-digital-display-experience-with-daktronics 
• Charlotte Knights Website: https://www.milb.com/charlotte-knights 
• Camino Webpage: https://www.daktronics.com/en-us/products/software-and-controllers/show-control/products/camino 

Jack Pickett, account service manager for Daktronics in the southeast region, is the next to join our services mini-series! He shares experiences from his 22 total years with Daktronics, how important a service agreement is for our customers, what success looks like for him and the Daktronics services team, and so much more.

What’s it like to add 23 LED displays totaling 20,000+ square feet on a college campus? We sat down with Iowa State University’s Tyler Rutherford, Associate AD of Digital Media and Cyclones.tv, and Philip Manley, Associate Director of Game Presentation, to hear all about it. From a massive new display at Jack Trice Stadium for football to a continuous centerhung display at Hilton Coliseum, there were some big changes in the past year. They also dive into digital content with Camino, production capabilities with Show Control and so much more.

Links:

• Daktronics news release: https://www.daktronics.com/news/led-display-upgrades-from-daktronics-will-improve-cyclone-fan-exper… 
• YouTube version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWRe1HJfd4E 

Join Justin and Matt as they cover a packed month of announcements,10 news releases in total! From professional sports venues and universities to transportation hubs and international projects, the team recaps all the highlights and stories that made headlines in September.

News Releases:

• Daktronics Introduces All Sport Pro for Fixed-Digit Scoreboards
• CHI Health Center Omaha Refreshes Digital Video Experience with Daktronics Displays
• Daktronics Delivers 80-Foot Viewing Experience at Circa Kentucky Downs
• Daktronics Brings Messaging Opportunities to Pedestrian Bridges at Yas Bay Waterfront, Abu Dhabi
• Collaborative AV and Daktronics Partner to Upgrade Auditorium Experience at Marine Corps University Quantico
• OG&E Coliseum Brings Video Focus to Live Events with Daktronics Centerhung System
• Prospera Place Elevates Atmosphere With One of the Largest Centerhungs in CHL from Daktronics
• Eye On Crime Increases with Daktronics, High Point Networks Collaboration for Pueblo Police Department’s Real-Time Crime Center
• Daktronics Releases Data Studio Volleyball for 2025 Season
• University of Kansas Kicks Off Football Season with Huge Stadium Improvements Including New Daktronics Video Display

When walking into a high school arena gives off a college atmosphere, you know the technology is having a big impact. To hear about that impact, Justin and Matt visited Huron High School in South Dakota to talk with Scott DeBoer and Michael Dramstad. Scott is the Activities Director and Huron Arena Manager while Michael is the Network Systems Engineer for the Huron School District. They dig into the technology, including the largest end wall display in a South Dakota High School, and how they are making it work for their events, students, sponsors and more.

Links:

• YouTube Version: https://youtu.be/SgVljPv-Cn8 
• Daktronics News Release: https://www.daktronics.com/news/huron-high-school-elevates-live-event-experience-with-daktronics-digital-display-installation

When event production takes center stage at Waunakee High School, Justin and Matt call up Jason McConnell to hear about it! Jason is the Director of Warrior Media and Video Content Coordinator for Athletics and he’s been part of a student-centric team that won a Daktronics DakClassroom Student Showcase Award this year for Best Overall Production and Best Use of Students in Production. He shares how their team works, the great things they are doing and where some of the students have gone from there.

Links:

• Daktronics Project Page: https://www.daktronics.com/en-us/photos?k=waunakee&project=199127-001&media=WP-022546
• Event production curriculum webpage: https://www.daktronics.com/en-us/markets/sports/high-schools/game-day-production-program

(Jason McConnell)

(Director View)

(Stream)