Scoreboard Upgrade Underway At Riverfront Stadium [Photos]

Out with old. In with the new.

When the Waterloo Bucks open the 2016 baseball season on May 31, a new state-of-the-art video board is expected to be operational at Riverfront Stadium.

Work is currently underway to replace the original digital scoreboard that's been a prominent fixture behind the rightfield wall since the team's inaugural season in 1995. The old scoreboard is now a relic. It was taken down on Wednesday (March 30, 2016).

A work crew from Brookings, S.D.-based Daktonics, one of world's largest suppliers of electronic signs, will spend the next several days at Riverfront finishing the scoreboard demolition and installing fiber-optics and other infrastructure for the new display board. The video board is scheduled to arrive on April 11 and workers will spend the next two days mounting it, weather permitting.

Bucks General Manager Dan Corbin said the new video board will allow for expanded use of Riverfront Stadium beyond the team's scheduled home games. When the Bucks are on the road, the organization is exploring the possibility of hosting movie nights or showing other sporting events -- such as Hawkeye football games -- on the large screen.

“This is a game-changer for us," Corbin said. "Not only will it enhance fan experience, but it will be a valuable asset for the community.

“Enhancing the fan experience has always been a goal of the Bucks. The installment of a video board allows us to take the next step as a top entertainment option in the Cedar Valley."

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Corbin estimated the cost of the project to be around $300,000. In November, the Black Hawk County Gaming Association approved a $150,000 grant to cover half of the project's cost. The other half was funded by the Bucks and City of Waterloo, which utilized additional grant money provided by the Cedar Valley Sports Commission and Waterloo Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The video board is expected to be operational by April 22. If there are no delays in the installation schedule, Corbin has targeted April 25 as the date when his staff can begin training on how to operate it.

Daktronics is scheduled to turn the video board over to the Bucks on May 1, after installation and training are complete.

“At the very least, from a game-day experience, it'll change everything we do,” Corbin said.

The video board should be on full display when the Bucks open their 22nd season of Northwoods League baseball against the St. Cloud Rox at 7:05 p.m. on Tuesday, May 31.