Virginia Tech Improves Live Event Experience at Cassell Coliseum with Daktronics Displays

Daktronics was asked by Virginia Tech to manufacture and install two main video displays and four wing video displays at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Va.

The installation took place in 2025 and is currently entertaining Hokies fans at men’s and women’s basketball, wrestling, volleyball, and other special events held at the venue.

“The new Daktronics video boards in Cassell Coliseum have been a night and day change for our fans,” says Virginia Tech Senior Associate Athletics Director, Production & Multimedia, Jed Castro. “They are huge. They are bright. And even though our arena can’t support a center hung, when you enter the arena, your attention is automatically drawn to HokieVision, thanks to Daktronics.

“The design is unique to our venue, and it has allowed us to keep stats up the entire game, something that our fans have been asking for the past few years. We’ve also added more space — and more productive space — for our multimedia rights partner to sell, allowing them to put up more than just a logo. With these boards, and the creativity of our staff and students, we’ve not yet begun to scratch the surface of what we can do for our fan experience. It might be the biggest improvement to the Coliseum in its 60-year history.”

Main Video Display Details

The main video displays at Cassell Coliseum each measure approximately 24.5 feet high by 44 feet wide and each features 3.9-millimeter pixel spacing to deliver crisp images and graphics to student athletes and fans. These are capable of variable content zoning so each can show multiple zones of video, replays, statistics, game information, and sponsorship messages.

“Daktronics is proud to be part of these LED display enhancements at Cassell Coliseum. Fans are sure to enjoy the larger high-resolution displays, creating a whole new atmosphere for Hokie nation,” says Charley Bocklet, Region Manager at Daktronics. “These improvements follow the scorer’s table upgrades Daktronics provided last year and the change has been transformational for the fan experience.”

Flanking the main displays are four wing displays, two at each end of the arena. All four wing displays measure roughly 11.5 feet high by 18 feet wide and all feature the same 3.9-millimeter pixel spacing as the main video displays. These displays are used to provide supplemental information, graphics, and messaging to meet the needs of Virginia Tech Athletics and any event held at Cassell Coliseum.

Daktronics included a complete Show Control solution with this project. This control system provides a combination of display control software, video processing, data integration, and playback hardware that forms a powerful yet user-friendly production solution. Rounding out the project are six backlit ID panels, six locker room clocks, and four shot clocks with lighting strips.