Anthony James Partners Designs Broadcast and LED Systems for Northwestern University’s New Ryan Field

Anthony James Partners (AJP) is nearing completion of its work as Technology Consultant for the new Ryan Field at Northwestern University, where the firm has led the planning, design, procurement and implementation oversight of the stadium’s broadcast production and LED display systems.

The new Ryan Field will host its inaugural football game on Friday, October 2, when Northwestern faces Penn State at 7 p.m. CT. The game will take place exactly 100 years to the day after the original stadium hosted its first football game in 1926.

AJP has worked on the redevelopment since the early stages of stadium technology planning, designing the broadcast and LED systems while coordinating the architectural, infrastructure and building requirements necessary to integrate those systems throughout the new venue.

“We’re grateful to Pat Ryan (Ryan Sports Development), Kacie Renc (Eleven Project Management), and everyone at Northwestern for including us in such an important project for a historic program,” said Michael Rowe, CEO of Anthony James Partners. “It’s great to see a collegiate venue leading rather than following what professional stadiums are doing. They took a different approach from the beginning. Pat was personally engaged in the technology decisions, did the research and challenged the team to think beyond what had traditionally been done at the collegiate level. They bucked trends, thought outside the box and were committed to delivering a professional stadium experience. The result is one of the best display and production environments in collegiate sports.”

“I think Ryan Field will establish a new benchmark and have an impact on both the collegiate and professional markets. We also appreciate being welcomed as part of the team, collaborating with Thornton Tomasetti, CAA ICON, HNTB, Perkins&Will, Turner Construction Company, Walsh Construction and the entire team that helped bring it together.”

BROADCAST PRODUCTION SYSTEM

At the center of the broadcast program is a new 1080p / 3G production control room, designed alongside the camera systems, broadcast positions and supporting technology infrastructure to support game day production throughout Ryan Field.

The new production environment incorporates Grass Valley cameras and production switching, Evertz routing and replay technology, Ross Video display control and graphics integration, and a comprehensive wireless camera system. The production system was developed not only for Ryan Field operations, but with the ability to support broader production and videoboard operations across Northwestern Athletics over time.

ZTransform was awarded the broadcast systems integration package.

LED DISPLAY PROGRAM

AJP also designed and managed the procurement of the stadium’s comprehensive LED display program, beginning with extensive modeling, placement studies and sightline analysis to integrate the displays into the architecture of the new venue.

The program includes more than 7,000 square feet of LED video technology, anchored by two 45-foot-high by 100-foot-wide, 8 mm end-zone displays. More than 2,400 linear feet of LED ribbon extends throughout the stadium, including a nearly 1,200-foot mid-bowl display that follows the upper concourse and an additional 1,270 linear feet of ribbon displays.

Additional displays include a 1.2 mm outdoor LED display measuring approximately 9 feet high by 24 feet wide in the North Great Hall, along with multiple displays integrated into the stadium vomitories. The overall video package also includes approximately 275 indoor and outdoor televisions and 50 play clocks and locker room clocks.

AJP worked with the project team from early concept development through detailed design and procurement, evaluating display dimensions, viewing angles, content presentation and integration with broadcast and game-production operations. The work also required detailed coordination of display locations, mounting and support conditions, concrete embeds, guardrails, MEP requirements and other interfaces between the technology systems and the building.

SNA Displays was the awarded LED manufacturer and integrator.

INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY DESIGN

Rather than approaching the videoboards and broadcast control room as independent systems, the Ryan Field program was developed around the relationship between the venue’s production infrastructure and the displays it drives.

The control room, camera systems and LED display infrastructure were designed together to support live game presentation, in-venue content and broadcast production while providing the flexibility for Northwestern Athletics to expand its production model in the future.

AJP also led a competitive procurement process for the Ryan Field technology systems, developing technical specifications, managing vendor proposals and interviews, and supporting Northwestern through final selection and implementation.

The new stadium represents one component of a broader technology relationship between AJP and Northwestern Athletics. AJP has also worked with the University to evaluate its existing broadcast infrastructure and develop a long-term technology roadmap addressing production needs across multiple athletic venues.

AJP’s work with Northwestern Athletics extends beyond Ryan Field, with additional technology projects currently underway at Welsh-Ryan Arena and Kip and Sara Kirkpatrick Stadium. Additional details on those projects will be announced separately.