Target Center will showcase the largest center-hung arena scoreboard in the Upper Midwest starting this summer.
Massive scoreboards are a Twin Cities sports trend
The Timberwolves and Lynx will be the next Minnesota sports teams to hang a new state-of-the-art scoreboard. Twin Cities stadiums have some of the best displays in the country.
By jason.gonzalez
March 24, 2016 at 5:27PM
The Timberwolves and Lynx released images of the monstrosity on Wednesday and raved about the 4,300 square feet of display space that will keep fans informed and entertained.
The arena's bowl will also feature new displays with eight vomitory signs, two tunnel signs and four corner scoreboards. Wait, there's more. The exterior of Target Center will also get a new video board and "create the most exterior digital display of any sports venue in the market," the press release said.
"The new scoreboard is one of the signature moments of this renovation. It will have the single biggest impact on the in-game experience for our fans," said Timberwolves and Lynx Chief Strategy and Development Officer Ted Johnson. "With more high-definition square footage than any venue in the region, fans coming to Timberwolves and Lynx games will experience an atmosphere than cannot be matched."
Check out this animation of what the upgrades will look like:
Twin Cities sports fans are spoiled when it comes to stadium displays.
U.S. Bank Stadium
The Vikings' new stadium will feature two high-definition LED boards that rank among the largest in the NFL. The bigger of the two scoreboards will stretch 120 feet wide and 80 feet high. The "small" one will be 95 feet wide and 55 feet high.
Xcel Energy Center
The centerpiece at the X is arguably the high-definition LED board featuring four large screens. The two main screens are 37.5 feet wide and 19 feet high. The end screens are 24 feet wide and 19 feet high.
Target Field
The Twins feature the fourth-largest high-definition scoreboard in Major League Baseball, measuring 101 feet long and 57 feet high.
TCF Bank Stadium/Williams Arena/Mariucci Arena/Sports Pavilion
The University of Minnesota has kept up with the trend of massive high-definition scoreboards. TCF Bank Stadium's scoreboard is among the 15 largest – 108 feet wide, 48 feet high – in college football. Williams and Mariucci Arenas recently received new scoreboards and sound systems. The Sports Pavilion also received a scoreboard update in 2014.
Metrodome
The Metrodome didn't have much to keep fans entertained aside from the action on the field. The scoreboard was 34 feet wide by 19 feet high, totaling only 1,292 square feet. The Twins' new scoreboard is 5,757 square feet and the largest Vikings scoreboard will be 9,600 square feet.
Scoreboards have evolved dramatically in the last 10 years alone. Here's a fun look at how much they've changed since the early 1900s. Also, don't be surprised if the Minnesota United get its own state-of-the-art scoreboard when the new soccer stadium opens in 2018.
In any case, we've come a long way from the center field message board at Metropolitan Stadium.
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jason.gonzalez
High-profile victims in Minnesota include Mike Conley of the Timberwolves and Twins co-owner Jim Pohlad.
