Dynamic Lighting for Small College Athletic Venues

Insights from BOSCA Partner Musco Lighting

Advanced entertainment technology is often associated with Power Conference budgets and venues. But advances in LED lighting and control systems have made dynamic light shows, color-changing effects much more accessible for smaller athletic programs.

These advances are creating new opportunities for flexible venue usage and next-level fan experience at schools with more modest enrollments, leaner staff sizes, and tighter budgets.
 
Professional Atmosphere in Smaller College Settings

At William Penn University in Oskaloosa, Iowa, the gymnasium and Activities Center come alive with colorful light shows, logo projections, and even moving spotlights. These effects are used on gameday for basketball, volleyball, and wrestling, but also during recruiting events and graduation ceremonies.

“The light shows, the music, and the presentation all contribute to a ‘wow’ factor that people are used to seeing at much larger venues,” said Athletic Director Grant Farris.

Entertainment controls also allow for more flexible facility usage. For example, William Penn’s Activities Center is divided into three independently controlled zones. This allows staff to manage scheduling, dimming, and on/off controls for a hard surface court, artificial turf area, and upper-level running track.

“If our lacrosse and volleyball teams are practicing on different ends of the fieldhouse, and one team needs the lights to be brighter than the other, we have the functionality to do that,” Farris explained. “And if we’re hosting a special event, like a graduation ceremony, we can dim the lights we don’t need and create more of an enclosed feel within a larger space.”   

Powerful, Easy-to-Use Entertainment Features



For venues with Musco’s TLC for LED® lighting, the addition of Show-Light® entertainment technology provides a suite of out-of-the-box tools that are designed to be powerful and easy to manage, including:

·      Pre-programmed effects that create movement and energy without custom programming

·      Custom static scenes that highlight center court, player entrances, or other big moments

·      Custom light shows synchronized to music.

The system is operated through simple touchscreen controls. Musco’s in-house entertainment team provides custom programming and system support.

The range of features made Show-Light technology a no-brainer for the team at University of Central Oklahoma Football during facility upgrades at Chad Richison Stadium.

The Bronchos replaced the stadium’s previous HID lighting with Total Light Control—TLC for LED™ system for enhanced, uniform light levels that improved visibility throughout the stadium. They also incorporated color-changing lights and dynamic show features that energize football gameday.

“We have a great facility and a beautiful campus, so why not get top-of-the-line lights that can put on a show and add to that atmosphere?” noted Stan Wagnon, UCO’s vice president for athletics.

Rethinking What’s Possible

For athletic directors at small colleges, an exciting shift is occurring. With scalable features and intuitive controls, dynamic lighting has become a realistic and cost-effective option for programs of all sizes.

Learn more about Show‑Light® entertainment technology and explore interactive examples at musco.com/entertainment.