Finley Stadium's board of directors voted Tuesday to move forward with a $600,000 video board that would be ready for the start of the 2018 University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football season.
The new video board would be 24 feet high by 70 feet wide, according to board member Mike Davis.
"This will make for a much better fan experience," Davis said.
Stadium Corp. chairman Gordon Davenport said Tuesday that the board pursued three vendors before settling on Daktronics. The funding for the video board is part of a $900,000 capital project that includes the new premium seating that is being installed at a cost of about $275,000.
The city and county each is providing $300,000, according to Davenport, who said the city will pay over three installments and that the county funding would occur through the CVB. Davenport added that the Friends of Finley fund and reserves would handle the rest of the cost.
"We have more than adequate reserves to cover the project," Davenport said. "Our timing is to get on with it and try to have it done in August. These video boards are becoming standard as far as customer expectations, and this opens up a new avenue for us, no question."
Board member Frank Kinser brought up the importance of training board operators, given the variety of events held at the facility built in 1997 and the potential of operators leaving.
Finley's existing Daktronics board was purchased and installed by former Chattanooga Lookouts owner and former Finley executive director Frank Burke for $225,000 in 2005. When Burke stepped down as Finley's executive director in 2009, he asked the Stadium Corp. for $90,000 for his video board to remain in place.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.