Athletic facilities are increasingly critical to school identity, student recruitment, and community engagement. Whether it’s a high school football stadium, a college field house, or a multi-sport training complex, the AV systems in these spaces shape the game-day experience, support athlete development, and serve as recruiting tools that influence where students and families choose to invest their time and tuition.
The Penn Group designs and installs AV systems for athletic facilities at the high school, college, and community sports level. Here’s what modern athletic facility AV includes.
Outdoor Stadium and Field Audio
Outdoor stadium audio presents unique challenges: sound dissipates quickly in open air, wind affects coverage patterns, and noise ordinances limit how much sound can leave the property. The traditional approach — a couple of massive horn speakers on a press box roof — produces uneven coverage with ear-splitting volume in the first rows and inaudible commentary at the far end of the stands.
We design outdoor systems using distributed speaker arrays along the grandstands, with each speaker covering a defined section at moderate volume. The cumulative effect is consistent, intelligible audio at every seat without excessive volume at any point. Digital delay alignment ensures that sound from multiple speakers arrives at listeners in sync rather than creating echo effects.
For tracks, baseball diamonds, and soccer fields where spectators are distributed around the perimeter, weatherproof column speakers on poles provide targeted coverage. All outdoor speakers and amplifiers are rated for full weather exposure — UV, rain, snow, and temperature extremes.
Video Scoreboards and Replay Systems
LED video scoreboards have replaced traditional numeric boards at programs that want to compete for attention and engagement. A video scoreboard displays scores and game data alongside sponsor content, player profiles, highlight replays, and animations that drive crowd energy. The production value gap between a school with a video scoreboard and one without is immediately visible — and it directly impacts booster donations, sponsor revenue, and student pride.
Video replay systems using PTZ cameras and simple recording/playback equipment allow highlight replays on the video board during games. For programs with streaming ambitions, the same camera infrastructure feeds a live production switcher for broadcasting games to families, alumni, and recruits who can’t attend in person.
Press Boxes and Broadcast Facilities
The press box serves as the control center for game-day operations: PA announcements, music playback, scoreboard control, video switching, and increasingly, live streaming production. A properly equipped press box includes a digital audio mixer, wireless intercom for communication with field staff, replay and streaming equipment, and environmental control (heating/cooling) because electronics and operators both need stable conditions.
Indoor Facilities: Gyms, Field Houses, and Training Centers
Indoor athletic facilities need sound systems designed for the acoustically hostile environment of large, hard-surfaced rooms (see our gymnasium audio guide for detailed treatment). Training centers and weight rooms benefit from high-quality music systems with zone control — coaches and athletes want high-energy music during workouts with the ability to mute for team meetings without leaving the room.
Video displays in training centers and locker rooms serve multiple purposes: film review for coaching, motivational content and branding, schedule and information displays, and live game feeds. We install commercial displays rated for the temperature and humidity conditions in these environments, with content management systems that coaches can update from their phones.
Investment Ranges
An outdoor stadium audio system for a high school football field typically runs $30,000 to $100,000. LED video scoreboards range from $50,000 to $300,000+ depending on size. Press box AV equipment runs $15,000 to $50,000. Indoor training facility AV packages run $25,000 to $100,000.
Contact The Penn Group to discuss your athletic facility project.
