Several weeks ago Liberty Athletic Director Jeff Barber announced numerous improvements to Williams Stadium. The upgrades, which are highlighted by a new video board, will be in place before the start of the 2015 football season. In addition to the upgraded video board, the field will feature new turf. We recently spoke with Barber about the changes to the home of the Flames.
“We’re looking in the 2,000 to 2,200 square foot range,” Barber said of the new board. The current video board measures approximately 730 square feet. A 2,200 square foot board would make the display at Williams Stadium the 3rd largest in FCS, behind Tennessee State (they play in the same stadium as the NFL’s Titans) and Northern Iowa. Barber stated that President Falwell and himself “felt it was necessary to continue to move the program forward.”
Williams Stadium will have a fresh new look in 2015.
In addition to being much larger than the current set up, the new board will feature higher resolution, giving the possibility of better quality replays and multimedia. Barber also confirmed that the school is looking into upgrading the sound system in conjunction with the new video board, although nothing has been determined at this time. The current sound system is supplemented on game day by portable sub-woofer towers that the athletic department rents. Even with the added capability it can be difficult to hear announcement and music well near the opposite end zone. Given these facts, it seems a sound upgrade is both likely and appropriate.
In his original announcement, Barber stated that the current video board would be moving to the opposite end zone above the visitor’s locker rooms. However, Barber would not commit to such a move during our conversation. “It’s not 100% that we will move the current board to the south end.” When asked how a possible move would effect the original Williams expansion plans, Barber stated that “if we do expand the stadium it would just have to be moved again.” The Athletic Director states that nothing is set in stone yet, and no renderings are available at this time.
The replacement of Williams Stadium’s turf is also a major portion of the upgrades. The current turf is more than five years old, and according to Barber it has “taken quite a beating”. There have been numerous drainage problems with the current turf, and those issues will be addressed as well. The athletic department will also be matching the turf on the field with the surface used on the football practice field. The current surface in the stadium is manufactured by a different company than that of the practice facility.
The Liberty AD also said there would be updates to the look of the field, “we’re looking at things we can do to make it look special”. However, don’t expect Liberty to pile on to the trend of uniquely colored fields. When asked if Liberty would be installing a traditional green field, Barber simply replied “Yes sir”. The renovations will begin immediately following graduation in May, and will be complete before the start of the 2015 season.
