BEVO BEAT Football Next upgrade at Texas: Brighter, better screen coming to Godzillatron Posted April 19th, 2017


The Texas football locker room isn’t the only thing getting a facelift. Next up: Godzillatron.

UT officials are soliciting bids for a company to replace the gigantic south end zone video board inside Royal-Memorial Stadium with an LED display and add smaller ribbon boards around the stadium’s seating bowl.

According to a posting on the school’s project management and construction service website, the projected cost of replacing the aging video board could run anywhere from $4-6 million. The school is asking for sealed bids from companies wishing to earn the business.


Texas generated wild headlines when football coach Tom Herman unveiled new state-of-the-art lockers that will be installed inside the Moncrief-Neuhaus Athletic Center. Each one cost approximately $10,500. A new video board inside the stadium is something that will get fans even more excited.

“The main south display, north field tunnel and all field displays will remain in the same locations and same size,” according to a proposal document available to companies who wish to bid on the work.

“The existing structures and mounting systems will be retained, wherever possible,” it continues. “The Club level ribbon displays on the north and east sides of the stadium will be extended the full length of the building as one continuous display.”

UT’s construction documents state that Godzillaton itself measures 56 feet high and 135 feet long.

UT project manager Jill Stewart said no final company has been selected, but the projected is expected to be completed by the 2017 football season. In fact, the document states that the project should be finished by July 19, 2017, most likely to coincide with the UT’s “Under the Lights” recruiting event.

As part of the proposal, the company chosen would also install scoreboards at the new UT tennis facility. The school is also asking a locker room clock to be installed in the football locker room.

Stewart said LED lighting is clearer, and the school won’t need the massive air conditioning units currently hidden behind the video board to keep things cool. “So there’s a big energy conservation and savings just by changing the type of lightning fixture,” Stewart said.

Contact Brian Davis at 512-445-3957. Email bdavis@statesman.com.

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