What's Happening in Champaign, IL…

When fans go to Illinois Field to watch the University of Illinois (UI) battle Northwestern, they’ll have a treat in store.

A brand-new video scoreboard, priced at more than $400,000 and mounted behind the wall in right field, will make its debut during this early-season series.

The scoreboard is 36 feet wide and 27 feet tall. According to Kathy Hug, assistant athletic director at the University of Illinois, the new scoreboard will allow the team to have more interaction with its fans.

Hug plans to begin by displaying statistics and headshots of those playing. Then the university intends to expand to include live video and season stats. Details are now being worked out by the UI video department, but Hug said using the board to its full advantage will be a learning process, with the university forming a picture of what works best as the season continues. She believes this will keep fans engaged throughout the duration of the game.

Hug noted that the new scoreboard resembles those already in use by other teams throughout the conference. She said the university considers its baseball team to be a premier program, and UI wanted players to have the same experiences at home that they enjoy at away games.

UI officials could work with a flyer printing company on a mailer to Champaign residents telling them about the new scoreboard, which will be installed in time for this weekend’s game.