Convenience, Security Guide Constant Upgrades At Sooners' Stadium

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) _ When fans at Oklahoma's season opener get ready for the popular ``There's Only One Oklahoma'' introduction video, something will be noticeably different. It'll

Wednesday, August 29th 2007, 9:30 pm

By: News On 6

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) _ When fans at Oklahoma's season opener get ready for the popular ``There's Only One Oklahoma'' introduction video, something will be noticeably different. It'll be on two giant video screens instead of one.
A new high-definition video board was installed during the off-season in the spot above the north end zone that was once occupied by a square amber matrix board. It's one of several upgrades at Owen Field that will get their first major test Saturday in the No. 8 Sooners' season opener against North Texas.
Oklahoma also upgraded its concession stands on the west side of the stadium, moving temporary pizza and barbecue stands on the concourses into permanent locations that clear the walkways. There are 65 new toilets in the women's restrooms, 30 new water fountain stations, and new handrails along the aisles in the upper deck on the west side.
``We expect comments, we want feedback and we're going to review that. We're going to review our own impressions and see what it is we need to make better,'' said associate athletic director Matt Trantham, who supervises Oklahoma's event management.
``We try to put ourselves in the shoes of our patrons coming each Saturday or the visiting team that's coming or the staff that's working.''
Trantham said the university is constantly studying ways to make the game day experience more enjoyable and convenient for those involved, and will make any improvements that are cost-effective. The top priorities, though, are safety and security.
A new public address system was installed at all 11 gates where fans enter and exit, allowing for routine announcements of game day procedures or for quick, unified instructions in the event of an emergency.
Trantham said many of the stadium's security procedures were developed after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. In 2005, the procedures were tested when a student used a homemade bomb to commit suicide about a block away from the stadium while a game was in progress.
``It really kind of reinforced us knowing that what we were doing was the right thing to be doing,'' Trantham said. ``When you're thinking about your fans' safety, that's one of those things you can't sit back and say, `Well, that's too expensive.' You really can't take that approach.''
Trantham said Homeland Security officials recently conducted a mock evacuation at the stadium to prepare volunteers in case of an actual emergency. The state Homeland Security department provides grants for some stadium security needs.
``There are going to be things we can't protect against and we can't avoid, but we feel like we're taking a lot of the necessary steps that will help prevent and help our fans and our staff be prepared in the event it does happen,'' Trantham said.
In addition to the north end zone video board, Oklahoma has added new digital boards in place of rolling advertising displays and expanded the ribbon boards along the upper deck fascia to stretch from one goal line to the other. The ribbon boards, which can display logos, advertising or scores from other games, formerly ran only between the 40-yard lines.
Trantham said all the screens can be programmed for simultaneous displays that will make for more eye-catching advertisements.
Before next season, the entire south end zone scoreboard will be replaced with a high-definition video display 32 feet tall and 113 feet wide.
``Next year, that south board being enhanced is going to be incredible,'' Trantham said. ``We're excited about that, but every year we'll do something.''
The video area will be nearly five times as big as the current screen but still smaller than the University of Texas' scoreboard that is 55 feet tall, 134 feet wide and has been nicknamed Godzillatron. Trantham said other Big 12 schools are also upgrading their video boards.
``We are not necessarily ahead of everybody, but we're wanting to be. So the things we do, within reason, are going to be with that mind-set,'' Trantham said. ``We're always getting better, and we're always going to try to be better than everybody else. That's our commitment to excellence that permeates through our campus.''
Trantham said Oklahoma was one of the first colleges to install the ribbon boards that are common in NFL stadiums, and always pays attention to cutting edge improvements.
``Technology advances so fast that two or three years down the road, what we've got there you start getting worried about now we've got the relic and the antique,'' Trantham said. ``Hopefully that's not the case. We try to stay ahead of that, and that's what you see out there.''