Texan Drive Stadium, home field for New Caney Independent School District High School’s football team, was revealed to the public in September 2014, after more than two years of construction. With a $20 million price tag, it is one of the most impressive football fields in the country, boasting 8,500 seats, the first full-length stadium fascia, a multi-story press box, luxury suites, and the largest high school video scoreboard in the United States.
Less than one year after opening its doors, Texan Drive Stadium upped their technology wow factor by adding NFL-level equipment that integrates instant replay and slow motion capabilities with their giant scoreboard. The new control room supports multiple inputs for HD cameras, including wireless, manual, and remote-operated robotic pan-tilt-zoom cameras. And their top-of-the-line HD switcher merges live video switching, broadcast graphics, and web streaming, allowing them to create and drive content in real-time for games and other events.
The use of such competitive and expensive equipment may raise questions as to whether or not such advancements improve high school athletic programs. While some believe it increases the gaps in opportunities when it comes to scouting for universities, others believe the benefits outweigh any controversy.
The large scoreboard and impressive capabilities of instant replay and real-time graphics make the game more immersive for the athletes and their fans, drawing them deeper into the action on the field. Independent app developers are creating mobile apps that make it possible for people to still watch the game, even if they are unable to be there in person. And other students have the opportunity to learn how to operate equipment and tools that have been, until now, reserved for the control rooms of professional sports franchises. For New Caney ISD High School, the larger scoreboard and advanced technology means more money from sponsorships and advertising—money that will be put back into the school’s athletic and academic programs.
New Caney High School’s journalism class produced a video that gives the viewer a behind-the-scenes look at their new stadium and its impressive technology. See the video here.
This is the first in a series of high school technology spotlights we will be publishing in the coming months. Are there other high schools you would like to see featured? What do you think of technology improvements such as those at New Caney ISD High School? How do you see think these changes will benefit students and student athletes?
Photo Credit: Texan Drive Stadium
