The in-game fan experience at a number of WKU athletic events is set to take a major step forward in 2018-19 as the videoboards at Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium and E.A. Diddle Arena will undergo renovations this spring to increase the size of the viewing area by nearly 400 percent.

“We are very excited for these major upgrades to the fan experience at our two largest venues for next season,” said Director of Athletics Todd Stewart. “We welcome thousands of visitors to the campus of Western Kentucky University every home event, and continuing to enhance their experience is vital. There will never be a better time to enjoy a game from the stands and feel closer to the action on the field and court than in 2018 on The Hill.”

Most notably, the videoboard at Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium and the dual videoboards inside E.A. Diddle Arena will receive a complete overhaul to add state-of-the-art high definition videoboards, increasing their viewing area and clarity over the current screens in the venues.

The project also includes a complete renovation of the sound system inside Diddle Arena to further enhance the in-game fan experience as well as a new scoreboard at the WKU Soccer Complex.

It will be the first major addition to Houchens-Smith Stadium since the opening of the newest side of the stadium prior to the 2008 season and first in Diddle Arena since the addition of suites in 2002.

The project will be funded through a strategic fundraising campaign handled by the Hilltopper Athletic Foundation, and donors who are interested in being involved with the project are encouraged to contact the HAF to discuss giving potential. WKU Athletics worked in conjunction with Daktronics, the world’s industry leader in designing and manufacturing large screen video displays, to design and plan the project.

Barring weather issues, work is set to begin on the videoboard at Houchens-Smith Stadium on or around Feb. 12, while the project inside Diddle Arena will not begin until after May commencements.

Each year, both Houchens-Smith Stadium and Diddle Arena host more than just WKU athletic events as commencement ceremonies, conventions, local, regional and national sporting events, concerts, speakers, and even weddings and wedding receptions will all benefit from the increased clarity provided by the new videoboards.