Bright House Networks Stadium
Bright House Networks Stadium is located in the heart of UCF's north section of campus is one of the nation's newest college football venues. Home for the UCF Knights football program, the facility sprawls over 25 acres, seats 44,206 and serves as the crown jewel of the schools' burgeoning Athletics Village.
Bright House Networks Stadium was part of a $60 million project that included financing costs, reserve requirements, infrastructure, roads, parking and practice fields for football, soccer and baseball. Designs were provided by Kansas City, Mo.-based 360 Architecture, while the construction was managed by Wharton-Smith, Inc. of Sanford, Fla. The stadium seating was erected by Dant Clayton of Louisville, Ky.
Construction and operation of Bright House Networks Stadium was funded through naming rights, revenues from suites and club seat leases, ticket and concessions sales, donations, corporate sponsorships and advertising. No public money or tuition fees were used to build or run the stadium.
The stadium's west side features the four-level Roth Tower, which includes 24 luxury suites accessible by private elevator. In addition, it houses a 4,200 square-foot Club Lounge with seating for 822, all of which were sold out shortly after stadium ground-breaking. The Roth Tower has the typical college football mainstays, including a spacious press box, broadcast and administrative suites. Bright House Networks Stadium also provides ample ADA Seating, capable of providing more than 450 wheelchair-accessible seats.
In 2015, the Carl Black and Gold Cabana debuted for UCF fans. The Cabana is a premium experience in Bright House Networks Stadium that became one of the signatures of the UCF gameday experience. It features a 10,000-square-foot, Florida-themed social area and lounge located between the 30-yard lines, and chair-back stadium seating, as well as an open-air sun deck to enjoy the game. Refreshments, televisions, private restrooms and other amenities are available in the Cabana, as well.
There are two stadium scoreboards at Bright House Networks Stadium. The board mounted on the south end of the stadium measures 50' x 8'.
In the north end, UCF announced in May 2016 significant upgrades to the LED displays for the 2016 season. The main display measures 114 feet wide by 36 feet high (4,104 square feet). For comparison, the video display built into the first scoreboard structure in 2007 was 33.6 feet wide by 19.1 feet high (641 square feet). It features Daktronics' 15HD pixel layout for excellent image clarity. The display also features variable content zoning, allowing it to show one large image or be divided into multiple windows to show any variety of live video, instant replays, statistics, scoring, graphics, animations and sponsorship messages. The resolution of the new video board is greatly enhanced in relation to the previous display.
A ribbon display added to the south end zone also was announced in May 2016. This display measures more than seven feet high by 199 feet wide. It offers the opportunity to supplement content and information on the main display, while also offering unique opportunities for fan engagement and sponsor messaging.
The stadium's lighting system is a Sportscluster Green Lighting System by Musco. There is one 168 1,500-watt metal halide fixtures mounted on four 140' galvanized steel poles. Additionally, there are 63 mounted video monitors, most of which are Panasonic 42 1080p high definition plasma screens. Bright House Networks Stadium's playing surface is Tifway 419 hybrid Bermuda. It was grown on location with the initial sprigging starting in March 2007 and reaching a lush, full-green appearance by June.
Outstanding customer service and memorable fan experiences are top priorities. There are 10 ticket windows; four on the east, four on the west, and two will call windows on the south side of the stadium. Plenty of restrooms are available with 10 separate women's, seven men's and four family/special needs facilities. Fixtures include 427 toilets, 104 urinals and 296 sinks, and all restrooms are handicapped accessible. There are also 11 permanent concession stands located around the stadium on the main concourse.
The Knights' locker room, located on the south end of the field, is 10,416 square feet and includes separate rooms for coaches, sports medicine, and equipment storage/distribution. The visiting team's locker room on the north end of the field and is 8,129 square feet.
Individual dressing rooms are also provided in the stadium for the game officials, chain crew, and cheerleaders.
Bright House Networks is the region's leading provider of home entertainment and information, and serves thousands in Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Brevard, Volusia, Flagler, Marion, Sumter and Lake counties. The company's fiber-optic network offers digital cable, HDTV, digital video recorders, iCONTROL Video On Demand and Premium On Demand, digital phone and multiple high-speed Internet services. Bright House Networks, which is owned by Advance/Newhouse Communications, also exclusively provides Central Florida News 13, the region's only 24-hour local news channel.