EUGENE — Oregon is planning to build the biggest video board in college football and a new sound system at Autzen Stadium.

UO athletics is proposing to the university’s board of trustees plans for a new 186′ x 66′ video board and point-source sound system above the East end zone terrace at Autzen Stadium. The $12 million project, which will be funded by private gifts, will voted on by the Finance and Facilities Committee of UO’s board of trustees Monday afternoon and is slated to be completed in August, in time for the 2020 football season which includes a Sept. 12 home game with Ohio State.

“The Athletic Department has consistently received feedback from loyal football fans concerning the audio/visual aspects of their experience in Autzen Stadium,” the project proposal states. “Audio/video services are critically important components to the fan experience. The current A/V equipment and technology in Autzen Stadium is dated (west end zone videoboard is 12 years old and the 2nd oldest in the Pac-12) and is not meeting the expectations of attendees. Newly available technologies will enable the department to better meet these expectations and will play an important role in differentiating the fan experience at Autzen Stadium.”

UPDATE: UO finance and facilities committee approves proposal for new video board at Autzen Stadium

The project calls for the removal of the existing sound system, which was installed in 2002 and has long drawn the ire of Oregon fans, as well as the small video board in the Northeast corner of the stadium to make way for a new support structure, point-source sound system and colossal video board, which will also feature a separate video board measuring 47′ x 26′ facing outside Autzen Stadium that will “be used on event days to communicate with and entertain patrons.” The existing video board in the West end zone, last upgraded in 2008, would remain operational as well.

Rendering of proposed East end zone videoboard at Autzen Stadium (University of Oregon)

Though the exact screen measurements are not specified, the 186′ x 66′ dimensions of the entire video board structure measure 12,276 square feet, topping the 10,830 square foot video board at Auburn (190′ x 57′) that was installed in 2015 and remains the biggest in the country. Auburn’s initial plans called for two rear-facing LED screens but those never materialized.

The proposed video board and sound system upgrade is the culmination of a three-year conversation within UO athletics of how to best improve the audio and video at Autzen Stadium.

Last May, Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens told The Oregonian/OregonLive the department was reviewing plans with structural engineers for a new video board and sound system and estimated the cost would be $12 million, matching the proposal.