BOSTON – Northeastern fans attending games at Matthews Arena in 2018-19 are in for some big changes to the world's oldest multi-purpose facility. The Howlin' Huskies will install a state-of-the-art, 50-foot centerhung videoboard and two ribbon displays at the arena as part of a significant upgrade to the in-game experience at the 108-year old building, athletic director Jeff Konya announced on Monday.
 
The new centerhung will form a rectangle shape above the playing surface in Matthews Arena. The two sideline-facing displays will each measure 13.5 feet high by 50 feet wide featuring an inward curvature. The two end-facing displays will each measure 9.5 feet high by 13.5 feet wide. All four displays feature tight 6-millimeter line spacing to provide crisp, clear imagery to fans in every seat of the arena. The LED system will be installed in 2018 and ready to inform and engage fans this fall.
  
Each centerhung display is capable of variable content zoning allowing each to show one large image or to be divided into multiple zones to show any combination of live video, instant replays, statistics and game information, graphics and animations, and sponsorship messages. Fans will be part of the game action more than ever before at Matthews Arena, with a section of the videoboard dedicated to in-game social media posts from Twitter and Instagram.
 
Two ribbon displays will be installed at each end of the arena. Each ribbon display measures three-feet high by 30 feet wide and features 10-millimeter line spacing. These provide the opportunity to highlight sponsors throughout events while also showing supplemental content to the main displays. 
 
Matthews Arena is home to Northeastern's men's and women's hockey teams and men's basketball team. The building is one of the bastions of the country's sporting history and a spectator's dream for live athletic contests.