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By OMAR SOUSSI
Cronkite News

TEMPE — New year, new video board.

Arizona State unveiled its latest addition to Sun Devil Stadium on Monday, a 5,419-square-foot video display designed to enhance the fan experience. It will make its public debut Thursday night when the ASU football teams opens its season against New Mexico State.

“We can put live social media on the video board like we’ve done in the past with the two south boards,” said Josh Richard, the manager of game presentation for Sun Devil Athletics. “We actually do an interactive noise meter. … When you see certain noise meters on the board that dictate section north, south, east, west, those are actually taking and capturing real live data and then displaying them on the board.”

The board will also feature high-definition videos and interactive graphics. The stadium’s sound system also has been revamped and the university worked with Intel to improve wifi capabilities at a facility that had many dead spots.

The sound system has relocated from the south cluster in the back to the north side, where there is a new system. Richard hopes to give ASU fans a top-notch experience.

“As the environment continues to change and the different layout continues to change, we’re really trying to take it to the next level and excel throughout the Pac-12,” Richard said. “The biggest thing from this year is when the team now comes out from the north tunnel, we’re going to have a lot of different things going on there. It’s not going to be the same … so I think there are some new and exciting things that fans will see this year.”

The project took four months and will enhance a stadium that can be used to host an array of events.

In the past, it was a home to concerts and a visit from Pope John Paul II, but it hasn’t been used for much more than football games in recent years.

“You can do movie night, you can host concerts,” Richard said. “You name it, we can work to make it happen.”