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New Duke scoreboard a slam dunk for fans

The new Cameron scoreboard balances the classic style of the arena with new technology.

A delicate balance between tradition and technology is helping bring Cameron Indoor Stadium into the 21st Century.

Blue Devil sports teams and fans have an added perk this season: Duke upgraded the 20-year-old scoreboard to a new, state-of-the-art version. The new board plays video on all four of its 6-feet-high and 10-feet-wide screens to go along with an enhanced scoring system that displays statistics.

The new scoreboard with LED lights dwarfs the old one and hangs above mid-court at about 15-feet tall by 14-feet wide. The old board was 4 to 5 feet smaller in height and width.

"The project was tough because we had to have Cameron stay the iconic building it is and enhance the experience," said Mike Sobb, assistant athletic director for marketing. "The challenge with Cameron is you have one of the true classic buildings in America. Like Wrigley or Lambeau fields, Cameron is one of the great ones left."

Stephen Carrow, a Facilities Management Department project manager, said that since Cameron "is basically a museum," it was important to find stability between the new technology and retro feel of the stadium. While the new board has all the bells and whistles sports fans expect nowadays, the university made sure to add wood paneling along the sides and brass bars on the bottom to stay true to Cameron's classic feel.

"There was a lot of thought to get from where we were with the old board to where we are now," Carrow said, joking that the old scoreboard was like a giant Lite-Brite. "This was truly an evolution."

Duke coaches are buzzing with excitement for the new model.

Volleyball head coach Jolene Nagel got to see the new board in its first action during the annual Duke Invitational tournament in September. She said initial reviews from fans were nothing but positive. "A lot of the people had been to Cameron before and thought it was really exciting to have statistics up there," she said.

Joanne P. McCallie, head women's basketball coach, said the new board accents and heightens Cameron's atmosphere. "Anything done in Cameron needs to reflect the pride, the tradition and the excellence of Duke, and this does," she said.

Sobb said he is just as excited to see the board in action this winter when the Cameron Crazies get to enjoy it as the newest addition to one of basketball's best places to play.

"We want Cameron to stay the iconic building it is and this enhances the experience," he said. "It's truly a special place."