The giant scoreboard at the Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium was dubbed “Godzillatron” by July 31, 2006. Texas Longhorn fans quickly criticized the many advertisements on the screen and re-dubbed the scorebard “Adzillatron” by September 3, 2006.
Wikipedia: Godzillatron
“Godzillatron” is the nickname given to the scoreboard at the University of Texas at Austin’s Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. The official name of the board has not yet been decided; it is simply referred to as the “Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium Scoreboard” by the Texas Longhorn Athletics department. It is one of the largest high definition video screens in the world. It was manufactured by Daktronics in Brookings, South Dakota, the largest producer of large-screen video displays in the world.
At the time of its creation, Godzillatron was called the largest high-definition video screen in the world, though it was quickly surpassed by a larger screen in Tokyo. It is still the largest high-definition video screen in collegiate sports when considering total screen size. As of 2006, the Big 12 Conference hold the three largest screens in college football by surface area, with Nebraska and Texas A&M at numbers 2 and 3 respectively. (TCF Bank Stadium, currently under construction at the University of Minnesota, when completed will have the second-largest scoreboard in college football, also a Daktronics HD video display.) Godzillatron is 84% larger than the screen at Nebraska (7,370 square feet vs 4,012 square feet). At the time of creation, it was the largest HD screen in the western hemisphere, but has since been surpassed by the Kansas City Royals new HD screen (8,925 vs 7,370 sq ft).
The scoreboard was installed as part of a US$150 million stadium renovation, $8 million of which is being spent on audiovisual improvements. The new high definition screen is the centerpiece of these improvements and it debuted at the start of the 2006 football season. The screen has a pixel resolution of 2064 x 848. Previously, two scoreboards were in place, one in the south end and one in the north end. The new scoreboard replaces the one in the south end. The north end no longer features a scoreboard as it was removed for the 2008 stadium expansion.
Criticism
A downside for fans is that the screen can be used to allow more obtrusive advertising to be displayed during games. It has been controversial among fans because at some times a large portion (more than 50%) of the screen is being used for advertising and other non game related graphics. This has led to some fans (including Austin American-Statesman commentator Kirk Bohls) calling the new screen “Adzillatron”. Complaints have also been made about the scoreboard being too loud and about it broadcasting advertisements to those in the stadium, even over the top of the band playing in the stadium. In its first usage, the portion of the new screen that was typically used for showing replays and film highlights was approximately the same size as the old video screen. More recent games have featured a 16:9 format image centered in a ring of advertisement and score/clock related information. Nevertheless, complaints continue about the advertising, with some fans shouting out “We won’t shop/eat/bank there” when advertisements are played loudly in the stadium.
3 September 2006, Austin (TX) American-Statesman, “Horns looks as good as advertised” by Kirk Bohls, pg. C1:
... ncluding one from this very newspaper, on the monstrous Godzillatron scoreboard that some fans are subtly calling Adzillatron.
Austin (TX) America-Statesman - Talk of Austin blog
Godzillatron debut
Saturday, September 2, 2006, 06:49 PM
What do you think of the ‘Godzillatron’? Was it too loud? Was there too much advertising?
(...)
By jeff e
September 3, 2006 01:28 PM
I attended both our game and the aggies game yesterday. What a Joke - and not on the aggies. I could not believe the difference and how much better their entire big screen setup is than the new one in DKR. Their ribbon board is amazing and their entire setup for programming puts us to shame. Our people don’t know what the heck they are doing with Adzillatron. Outclassed by a bunch of aggies and their Gigatron. Ouch!
(...)
By Bevo
September 3, 2006 09:29 AM
Here’s more… And the Longhorn Band pregame show was ruined when the continuity that we have grown to love was chopped up and interrupted with announcements interspersed . What happened to March Grandioso? Was it cut out so we could inject more ads? Whoever decided on programming, timing, and layout design of the of Adzillatron 1) was oblivious to UT tradition, 2)has no taste (except in his mouth) 3)wasted money on when he turned it into the world’s most expensive billboard/screensaver.
Piss Warm Chango
Monday, September 04, 2006
12th Man TV vs. Adzillatron
(...)
They new board had been nicknamed “Godzillatron” (obviously because of it’s size). It’s suppossed to be the largest HD screen in the world. Yup, they’re clever up in Austin. Really rolls off the tongue doesn’t it?
Here’s a still pic.
Yea. More like Adzillatron.
Google Groups: TXTXYeehaw
From: “justin blumoff”
Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2006 10:36:47 -0500
Local: Tues, Sep 5 2006 10:36 am
Subject: godzillatron = adzillatron
terrible. well, they say they are just learning how to use the new monster scoreboard and once they figure how to use all the functions it should be really cool….but for right now, the highly anticipated scoreboard is nothing but a huge ad. the amount of the board that actually shows game-oriented information is no bigger than the old scoreboard… it sucks. it takes so much energy out of the stadium… instead of the fans echoing TX - FIGHT between plays or during timeouts…. you hear ads blaring through the stadium, drowning the band and the crowd… if i wanted to watch ads during timeouts i would stay home….
Norman (OK) Transcript
New OU videoboard will open eyes
By John Shinn
Published August 30, 2008 12:13 am
(...)
The one at Texas’s Royal Memorial Stadium was dubbed “Godzillarton” when it debuted in 2006. The screen is 7,370 square feet.
Others dubbed it “Adzillatron” for the massive amount of advertising that bombards fans throughout a game.
Columbia (MO) Daily Tribune
More than the score
New board will offer improved sights, sound
By Dave Matter
Sunday, May 10, 2009
The stars glistened all over Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Oct. 18 when Missouri visited the home of the Texas Longhorns.
Besides UT’s incandescent cast of players — led by Heisman Trophy candidate Colt McCoy — on the Texas sideline stood New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, his buddy and retired ace Roger Clemens plus two stars from the TV series “Friday Night Lights,” Brad Leland and Minka Kelly, Jeter’s gal pal at the time. Lurking in his usual spot, keeping watch over the field and gnawing on some cud, was Bevo, perhaps the most famous live mascot in college sports.
But no star shined brighter than Godzillatron. In its third season of existence, the largest video scoreboard in American sports overlooked Royal Stadium from its perch above the south end zone.
Nicknamed in print “Adzillatron” by Austin American-Statesman columnist Kirk Bohls for its proliferation of giant-sized corporate logos, the board is 55 feet tall and 134 feet wide. The $8 million display of high-def wonderment — or college athletics excess, depending on your perspective — popped and sparkled, putting the Longhorns’ 56-31 clobbering in clearer view than Missouri preferred.