Husker Athletics Unveils New Multimedia Facility

Nebraska Athletics has unveiled its new multimedia production facility that houses HuskerVision, Creative and Emerging Media, Huskers Radio Network, and the athletic photography team.

Built on the second floor of North Stadium, in the old Husker Football offices and team space, this newly renovated 25,200-square foot facility features three, 4K/HDR control rooms, a production studio, Husker Radio Network studio headquarters and still photography studios.  The centralized control rooms and rack rooms will support in-venue replay boards and B1G+ live broadcast productions from eight athletic venues.

The units moved into the new facility earlier this summer and HuskerVision will produce its first football game from the new facility this Saturday when the Huskers open the home season against Akron.

“HuskerVision began 30 years ago in West Stadium and has served Husker fans and Nebraska Athletics extraordinarily well,” Director of Athletics Troy Dannen said.   “This investment will enhance our fan experience across all venues and set a standard for the next 30 years.  It is also a notable first step in reshaping Memorial Stadium to impact Nebraskans for generations to come.  This is far and away the best production facility in college athletics.”  

Designed and built by BeckTV, the new $12M HuskerVision area features a full IP infrastructure that supports over 20, 4K/HDR cameras and over 20 channels of replay.  Brock Raum, the lead project engineer for BeckTV, is also a former HuskerVision student (2007-2012).

“This was a special project for our BeckTV team,” Raum said.  “HuskerVision has a reputation nationwide as a leader in this space and this will be the standard for university production facilities for years to come.  As a former HuskerVision staff member I am so proud to have played a role in building this beautiful facility where future generations will catapult their careers just like I did.” 

Husker Athletics employs over 100 University of Nebraska students in these areas, and the new facility is centered around an open workspace that will accommodate workstations for over 30 students.

“Our content teams were previously located in four different areas of the stadium,” Brandon Meier, Senior Associate Athletic Director for Marketing and Multimedia said. “This facility will allow all our content creators to collaborate, share and increase the efficiency and quality of all our productions and digital content.” 

Assistant AD for HuskerVision Kirk Hartman has spent more than three decades in HuskerVision and is excited for fans to benefit from the new home for the department.

“I was here in 1994 when HuskerVision was created, and so much has changed over the years but creating great content for Husker fans is still our primary mission,” Hartman said. “This new space will provide HuskerVision the foundation for delivering the highest quality content for decades to come.”

“It has been an honor to work with the University of Nebraska on the development of the new HuskerVision production facilities,” said Mark Jacobson, AV Consultant, Stadia Video Group.  “I have worked with many HuskerVison alumni over the years and recognized the quality of the experience that HuskerVison provides to students.  The investment in the new production facilities will continue that tradition with the latest technology.” 

This new facility will support the new 4K/HDR, LED big screen inside Memorial Stadium and Pinnacle Bank Arena.

FACTS/FIGURES/TECHNOLOGY

• 3 full feature production control rooms
• SMPTE 2110 IP broadcast deployment
• Full IP data center level infrastructure
• 12, 4K HDR camera systems
• 10, 4K, point of view cameras
• 20 channels of replay/record
• 51.2 terabits of IP fabric switching capacity
• First university install of a complete LAWO VSM/Home routing and IP management infrastructure 
• 2,617 Square foot studio space with LED Lighting and green screen cyclorama wall
• 34 operator positions
• Over 30 student workstations
• 40 equipment racks
• Centralized UPS backup power system
• Dedicated Video Shading/Robotics and Replay Rooms
• 160 Input, 80 output production switcher capability with 3 control surfaces
• Full AES 67 IP audio integration with 3, LAWO audio consoles, Riedel Intercom, Q-SYS audio cores and 132 Dante audio endpoints
• Fiber connectivity to Memorial Stadium, Bob Devaney Sports Center, Pinnacle Bank Arena, Hawks Field, Bowlin Stadium, Hibner Stadium, Osborne Legacy Complex, and Big Ten Network Studios
• Centralized Husker Radio Network Studios with IP distribution to 52 regional affiliates
• 4 Husker Radio Network Production Pods
• Podcast studio
• Still photography studio
• 146-seat Husker Athletic meeting space

VENDORS

• Broadcast design and integration (BeckTV)
• Construction (Hausmann and Kiewit)
• Architectural design (HDR)
• A/V Consulting (Stadia Video Group)
• Radio Network design and integration (Inrush)
• Memorial Stadium LED Screen and Control System (Daktronics)
• IP Switching (Cisco and Aruba)
• Cameras and Video Switchers (Grass Valley)
• POV Cameras and Camera Optics/Lenses (Canon)
• Replay/Record (EVS)
• Video Router and Production Audio (LAWO)
• Production Intercom (Riedel)
• Consoles and Broadcast Furniture (TBC Consoles)