Vendor outlines $500K–$622K stadium video/audio proposal funded by sponsorships; board to weigh next steps
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Summary
Daktronics presented two stadium/video-display options with integrated audio and a sponsorship-backed financing model: roughly $500,000 for the smaller package and about $622,000 for a larger display; electrical work was excluded from vendor scope and board members asked for site visits and cost clarity before a decision.
Daktronics representatives on Jan. 12 presented the Elkhorn Area School District with two video-display and audio designs for the high-school stadium and a possible indoor gym display, proposing a sponsorship-driven financing approach to limit the district’s upfront capital outlay.
Kevin Zambooski, identified as a local equipment representative for Daktronics, described the larger outdoor design as a roughly 32-foot-wide video display with an integrated "sole-source" audio system and fixed-digit analog scoreboard elements that allow the clock and score to operate without the video display turned on. He said a second design would be approximately 25 feet wide and lower cost but have the same core features.
Chris Popowski, who the vendor identified as focused on sponsorship and advertising, said the company typically helps districts secure multi-level sponsorships (anchor, founding, premier) and supports schools with sports-marketing services. In vendor cost scenarios staff reviewed at the meeting, the smaller scenario was presented at about $500,000 (equipment and installation, electrical excluded) with an expected five-year payoff target and an estimated annual sponsorship revenue near $98,000 if sponsorship goals are met. The larger scenario was presented at about $622,000 with projected annual sponsorship revenue around $110,000; both scenarios exclude electrical work, which the vendor said is typically handled by the district or a local contractor.
Board members asked practical questions about audio performance, site visits and how video content would be produced. The vendor recommended site visits to other Wisconsin districts that use the single-source audio configuration (examples mentioned included Mukwonago and Whitnall) and said most high-school displays run pre-produced student or sponsor content rather than live replays. District staff noted an opportunity to develop a classroom curriculum in which students would create and upload pre-made videos for game nights, and district staff mentioned Vince DiLupo, who operates pro-level video boards, as a potential contributor to student instruction.
On technical costs the vendor said electrical work varies widely depending on the required routing and estimated a rough ballpark of $20,000 in many cases but stressed that figure depends on site conditions; the vendor’s presented scope explicitly excluded electrical work. For maintenance, Daktronics described modular modules and spares replacement, a standard five-year parts warranty and recommended a control-system refresh around year seven.
District staff framed the presentation as a discussion item and said they could return the proposal to the board for formal approval at a future meeting after additional cost details, sponsor commitments or lease options are explored. There was no motion or vote on the project at the Jan. 12 meeting.
