Video scoreboard proposed at Legends

Ever hear the groans of the crowd but miss the play on the field that elicited the response?

Next fall, Kalispell football fans might never miss a play again.

The school district is considering a proposal from a Flathead alumnus to install a high-tech video scoreboard at Legends Stadium.

Terry Pugh of Virtu Consulting has proposed putting in a 16- by 24-foot LED screen and scoreboard at the stadium. In addition to providing fans a way to more closely see the action on the field, the scoreboard would offer the same scrolling advertisements seen at college and professional stadiums.

“Basically, we want to try and bring revenue to the school, plus fun equipment,” Pugh explained to Kalispell trustees at their regular meeting Tuesday.

Putting in the scoreboard wouldn’t cost the district a dime, Assistant Superintendent Dan Zorn said. Pugh’s company would incur all costs, and at the end of 15 years, the equipment would be deeded back to the district.

For the idea to really be successful, though, other Montana high schools need to be part of it, Pugh said.

“Regional people won’t buy [advertising] if it’s just Flathead, but they would if we had a network of the whole state,” he said.

He hopes to set up a network throughout Montana using Kalispell as an anchor model.

There are eight schools statewide that might be able to put in video scoreboards, he said. Jordan Lister, Pugh’s apprentice and another Flathead alumnus, has spoken to high schools in Butte and Missoula. Laurel High School already has one.

Putting the scoreboards in for high schools makes sense, Pugh said.

“High schools are really faced with revenue problems. That’s why we’re teaming up with major corporations,” he said. “We’re trying to help that process, and the best way that we know is through sports.”

But athletics wouldn’t be the only beneficiaries of a high-tech scoreboard.

“There are existing media programs at both high schools, which already produce [daily school] announcements. This presents a whole new venue,” Zorn said. “I think there’s some real potential there to expose our kids to some opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have.”

Pugh has a long history of involvement in the Flathead. He was a major financial contributor to Legends Stadium. He said he is responsible for putting in the Little Guy football fields and parking lots at Kidsports.

But his work extends well beyond the Flathead Valley. He has done work at college and major league stadiums across the United States, including putting in a new video scoreboard at the University of Montana.

Pugh’s presentation Tuesday included other options for Kalispell besides a video scoreboard at Legends Stadium.

He suggested installing similar displays inside the Flathead and Glacier high school gyms. He also proposed putting artificial turf on Rawson Field, a move Pugh estimated could save the district $45,000 a year.

Whatever the district decides, Virtu Consulting would be responsible for installing the equipment and soliciting sponsors for it.

Pugh said his company would ask for a 17 percent commission on all sponsorship dollars, which he says is about the national average for securing advertisers. Virtu Consulting would also get development and project management fees and would work out a revenue-sharing formula with the district. Pugh said he wants a 60-40 split, with the district receiving 60 percent of the advertising revenue.

Attorney Jeff Hindoien has been working with Pugh on the district’s behalf to discuss contractual adjustments and potential legal pitfalls.

One adjustment that might need to be made is a provision in the district’s existing sponsorship contracts that allows Kalispell schools to cancel contracts at least annually if they might adversely impact classrooms. Sponsors on the video scoreboard might have longer contracts.

“But these contracts will run between Terry and the sponsor, not between the district and the sponsor,” Hindoien said.

Another potential issue is the types of companies that might be allowed to advertise on the scoreboard. While Pugh assured the school board that ads for alcohol and tobacco would not be allowed, trustee Anna Marie Bailey wondered if allowing soft-drink companies to advertise might violate the district’s health and wellness policy.

Hindoien and Pugh will continue to hammer out the details of an agreement. They hope to have it ready by November, in time for trustees to vote on the issue at their next regular meeting.

Reporter Kristi Albertson may be reached at 758-4438 or at kalbertson@dailyinterlake.com.