University of North Dakota Athletics and Ralph Engelstad Arena are pleased to announce that when the UND hockey team takes the ice for the 2019-2020 season, it will do so under a brand new center-hung video display and additional arena upgrades that will once again make Ralph Engelstad Arena one of the more state-of-the-art arenas in the world.

The new center-hung video display will measure approximately 15.5 feet high by 34 feet wide per side and offer a massive 2,100 square feet viewing experience for North Dakota hockey fans. The new video display will be a modified square shape in that it has four equal sides, but each side will be curved and each of the corners will also be curved.  The seamless circumference of the new video display is 135 feet with curved sides and curved corners. The display will feature 6 mm pixel spacing to bring high-resolution imagery to every seat in the arena. The display is capable of variable content zoning allowing it to show one large image, or be divided into multiple zones to show any combination of live video, instant replays, up-to-the-minute statistics, graphics, animations and/or sponsorship messages. As a base of reference, the Ralph Engelstad Arena's current video boards on the current video display are approximately each 9 feet high x 16 feet wide."

The center-hung configuration will also include an upper video ring measuring 145.5 feet in circumference and a lower video ring measuring 129 feet in circumference, with both rings measuring 3 feet in height.  Two additional underbelly video boards, each measuring 9.5 feet high by 11.5 feet wide, are for those seated closest to the ice behind both the player benches and penalty boxes.
In addition to the new center-hung video display, all of the following arena upgrades will also be made during the summer of 2019: 
-           A new LED ribbon display will be mounted to the seating bowl fascia to replace the existing fascia ribbon. The new fascia ribbon will measure 2.5 feet high by 889 feet long. The new fascia ribbon will feature 10 mm pixel spacing and will provide significantly improved imagery when compared to the current fascia ribbon.
-           33 new LED video displays will be installed above entrances to the seating bowl. Each of the 34 new displays will measure 2 feet high by 6 feet wide.  These displays will feature 10 mm line spacing and allow for the opportunity to provide supplemental information to the main displays and game presentation, as well as the opportunity to highlight sponsors during events.
-           A new media control room, including new high-definition cameras, will be installed to allow the arena to maximize the technological improvements associated with the new video boards.
-           A new state of the art LED lighting system will be installed in the arena bowl. It will provide a truly customized lighting solution, meeting the needs of players, spectators, and fans watching UND home games around the world. The Ralph will partner with Musco Lighting on the new LED lighting system which will drastically reduce glare, enhance playability for the athletes, and offer the highest quality light for high-definition broadcasts. 
-           Current video boards on the top row of the current center-hung will be moved to both the North and South ends of the arena.

"We are constantly searching for ways to enhance the fan experience," said Jody Hodgson, General Manager of Ralph Engelstad Arena. "Our new center-hung video board will be the biggest and best in all of college hockey. It will provide approximately 4 times the amount of video space compared with our current display. Consistent with Mr. Engelstad's original wishes, every fan, in every seat, will have the same viewing experience because of the square dimensions and rounded corners selected for our new video board.
We're not going to stop with a new video board. Our goal is to create the most digitally advanced hockey arena in the country. The new fascia, new entrance displays, new control room, new cameras, and new lighting system are going to be fantastic improvements for our fans. The lighting system will produce a theater-like atmosphere for players and spectators, while also significantly reducing energy consumption."

The total project cost is estimated to be $6 million. The Engelstad Foundation has committed $4 million to the project and the remaining $2 million will be provided from the Ralph Engelstad Arena's long-term repair and replacement reserve fund. The project donation is further evidence of the Engelstad Foundation's commitment to providing an unparalleled world-class game experience for UND fans.

"We're very happy to help fund this project," said Kris McGarry of the Engelstad Foundation. "The fan experience is extremely important to my family. We remain committed to the UND hockey team and to the fans that are the lifeblood of the hockey program. We also know that time stands still for no one. We share the vision of the arena's management team to make sure that Ralph Engelstad Arena remains one of the most technologically advanced arenas in the country."

Ralph Engelstad Arena will partner with Daktronics to engineer and install all video boards associated with the fan experience upgrades. Installation is slated for the summer of 2019 and all new video boards will be ready to go for the start of the 2019-2020 hockey season. To integrate and control the new LED displays, two Daktronics Show Control user stations will be included. With the push of a button, arena staff will be able to display exclusive content on every screen in the bowl, thus enhancing the game experience for fans and sponsors alike.

"We are excited to continue our long-standing partnership with Ralph Engelstad Arena," said Matt Warnke, Daktronics sales representative.  "Since the building opened, we have been trusted with enhancing an already great game-day environment and this new display system will entertain and impact the game-day atmosphere in a variety of areas within the arena, offering many opportunities to inform and entertain fans.  We are excited to see this new system in operation next season."

"In addition to the recruiting value that comes from playing in a world-class arena, I also know that the new video boards will help us with our efforts to create an unmatched home ice advantage at the Ralph," said Brad Berry, UND Men's Hockey Head Coach. "We love playing in front of capacity crowds and the new video boards are certainly going to add to the game atmosphere that allows us to continue growing our fan base. Just like our fans, I can hardly wait to see the new technology live in person next season. We're extremely appreciative of the support from the Engelstad Foundation and we're honored to see their ongoing investment in the arena and our hockey program."

"Projects like this don't happen without the help of folks like the Engelstad family and we're honored to be the beneficiaries of their continued investment in UND Athletics and Ralph Engelstad Arena. The partnership between the athletics department and the arena is a mutually beneficial relationship for our coaches, student-athletes, and fans," said Bill Chaves, UND Director of Athletics. "I think the fans are going to love the improvements that we make over the summer. The brand that is North Dakota hockey will certainly be enhanced with the completion of these arena upgrades."    

About UND Athletics
The Department of Athletics at the University of North Dakota serves approximately 350 student-athletes that compete at the Division I level in 17 sports programs. The mission of the department is to support the University of North Dakota through intercollegiate athletics while providing student-athletes with the opportunity to compete, learn and grow. The North Dakota men's hockey program is a member of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) and competes in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Ice Hockey. North Dakota is considered one of the premier college hockey programs in the country, and is regarded as one of the most powerful, successful, and storied college hockey programs in NCAA history.
 
About Ralph Engelstad Arena
Ralph Engelstad Arena, commonly referred to as "The Ralph", is a sports and entertainment arena located on the campus of the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The Ralph serves as the home of the North Dakota men's hockey program and seats 11,642 for hockey. The Ralph opened on October 5, 2001.
 
About Daktronics
Daktronics is an American company based in Brookings, South Dakota that designs, manufactures, sells, and services video displays, scoreboards, digital billboards, dynamic message signs, sound systems, and related products. The company is known for its electronic LED displays. Founded in 1968 by two South Dakota State University professors, Daktronics grew from a provider of electronic voting systems for state legislatures to one of the world's largest suppliers of electronic signs and is an industry leader in LED video boards in sports and entertainment facilities.
 
About Musco Lighting
Musco Lighting is an American company based in Oskaloosa, Iowa that specializes in the design and manufacture of sports and large area lighting systems. Musco is responsible for lighting a full range of sports facilities, from the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center, to Daytona International Speedway, to thousands of Little League fields, to many NHL / NBA arenas, including the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. In addition to lighting both Mount Rushmore National Memorial and the Statue of Liberty, Musco also provides lighting systems for large industrial areas and has won both an Academy Award and an Emmy Award for lighting.