Venue News: NFL To Test Boundary Cameras at MetLife Stadium; Minnesota Vikings Install LED Lighting at U.S. Bank Stadium

The NFL doesn’t seem ready to embrace New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick’s push to let coaches challenge anything on any play. But another Belichick proposal is about to get a longer look: fixed cameras along all the field’s boundaries to assist with replay reviews. “It will be tested at MetLife Stadium a bit later this season, providing us with 10-12 games worth of data on viability, impact and feasibility,” NFL spokesman Michael Signora told USA TODAY Sports in an email last Thursday…

Sony’s F65 camera in use by Fox Sports at MetLife Stadium.

…Game action inside U.S. Bank Stadium is less than a year away, but installation of a high-tech lighting system that will benefit broadcast cameras and spectators has begun, according to the Minnesota Vikings. Ephesus Lighting has developed a patented system of LED lights that will be the first of its kind in a new NFL venue. The upgraded lighting, which the Vikings agreed to cover with a $1.3 million commitment earlier this year, will have the capability to enhance fan experiences during games, in the lead up to kickoff and during breaks like halftime…

…On Friday, the New York Islanders played their first regular-season game at the Barclays Center, their new home in Brooklyn. The Barclays Center Fact Sheet boasts that the arena has “one of the most intimate seating configurations ever designed into a modern multipurpose sports arena with unparalleled sight lines.” Undoubtedly, fans were excited to check out the Islanders’ new arena, but some were left disappointed upon arriving at their seats, writes Business Insider. Those who were seated in sections 201 to 204 and 228 to 231, discovered they couldn’t see one of the goals, which was directly below them…

…Target Center is celebrating 25 years in downtown Minneapolis by giving the city a taste of what’s shortly to come, writes CBS Minnesota. As the venue marked the 25th anniversary of its grand opening, plans were unveiled detailing a planned $129 million renovation project that will include new gathering spaces, clubs, exteriors, and a five-story glass atrium to shift the main entrance over to the corner of First Avenue and Sixth Street. The plans also call for acoustic improvements to be made to the frequent concert venue, and also a new scoreboard is going in…

…Like many NHL teams this off-season, the Ottawa Senators set out to attract a few high-priced free agents in their drive to succeed at the sport’s highest level, writes the Ottawa Business Journal. But it wasn’t players the club’s business office was chasing – it was customers. Fans arriving at the Timberwolves’ home opener this weekend will see the results of the largest renovation project in the 20-year history of their Kanata arena, a $15-million makeover that includes airport-like security scanners, a bevy of new food and beverage offerings and a members-only section called Club Bell…

…Plans for the $1 billion NFL stadium on the St. Louis riverfront got a boost Friday with news that the project qualifies for state tax credits to pay for site cleanup, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. If certain conditions are met, the project to construct the stadium north of downtown will get $43.3 million in Missouri brownfields tax credits. NFL owners met in New York last week to discuss moving a team to Los Angeles. Rams owner Stan Kroenke has proposed a $2 billion stadium in Inglewood, just outside L.A. The San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders are pushing a competing effort to build a two-team stadium in Carson, CA, about 15 miles from Kroenke’s site.

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