Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Athletics topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Athletic director urges upgrades: shot clocks, scoreboards and a move toward digital ticketing
Summary
The athletic director told the Russell County Board the district needs a flagpole and benches at the soccer complex, recommended considering GoFan digital ticketing with a hybrid approach, warned of new shot‑clock staffing costs for 2027–28, and noted video scoreboard options estimated at about $50,000 each.
The Russell County athletic director briefed the board on facility and operational needs for the district’s athletics program, urging the board to consider modest capital work and new recurring staffing costs tied to upcoming KHSAA rules.
He described a favorable KHSAA site visit and asked the board to fund smaller items (a flagpole and benches) for the soccer complex. He said the district has reclaimed topsoil and reseeded the grass soccer field and that maintenance can install a flagpole, which would save contractor costs.
On operations, the director said the district should consider hybrid digital ticketing (GoFan) to respond to patrons who no longer carry cash while keeping an option for cash purchasers. He said transaction fees are typically about $1 and can be passed to purchasers or absorbed by the district. "We have so many people that come and they don't have a means to carry cash now," he said, and suggested a hybrid approach while other schools in the region adopt digital platforms.
The director flagged a new KHSAA shot‑clock requirement scheduled to take effect for the 2027–28 school year that will likely require adding an official whose primary role is running the shot clock. He noted that adding a staffed shot‑clock official will raise recurring game costs but also improve safety and consistency. He also described options to replace aging gym scoreboards with integrated video scoreboards; vendor discussion estimated about $50,000 per video display, with lower unit pricing if multiple boards were purchased together.
He recommended the board consider: purchasing benches and a flagpole (cost‑effective installations by maintenance), evaluating revenue opportunities from digital/video scoreboards (advertising templates exist), piloting a hybrid digital ticketing approach, and discussing shot‑clock staffing as part of future budgeting. The board thanked the presenter and indicated staff should return with cost estimates and formal proposals where needed.
The athletic director offered to provide a slideshow or vendor presentation on digital ticketing and video scoreboards at a future meeting.
