The screaming fans, the blaring pep band, the breathtaking plays … Hilton Coliseum during basketball season can be characterized by one word — magic.

Now Hilton is receiving a $1.2 million addition to its nationally-renowned atmosphere — a high-tech video board.

In early February, the scoreboard currently hanging from the Hilton ceiling will be taken down and replaced by a new video board, said Jeff Shoultz, athletic marketing and promotions program assistant.

“We are one of the first NCAA Division I schools to have a video board,” Shoultz said. “It’s an up-and-coming thing in college basketball.”

The new board will feature four video screens, one on each side, measuring 6 feet high by 9 feet wide. The screens will have very high resolution, so for spectators, it will be “just like watching your television,” Shoultz said.

The high-quality and “big-screen TV” characteristics of the board will make the games more enjoyable for fans sitting in the balcony. Shoultz said a primary motivation for obtaining the board was to give fans a better view of the action.

“This is for those people who may not be close to the court,” he said. “It adds to the excitement.”

The screens will show “a ton of replays,” highlights from previous games and previews for upcoming events, Shoultz said.

While spectators at basketball games are used to seeing the score and game clock on the center board, they will not be displayed on the new video board. Instead, four small scoreboards showing the score and time will be installed in each balcony corner of the coliseum.

The new scoreboard will still display individual statistics, including points and fouls of each of the basketball players on the court. It also will show the number of total fouls for each team.

In addition, Shoultz said the board will feature “sponsor panels,” or advertisements from corporate benefactors of the athletic department.

Features on the video board, such as replays, also will have sponsors. Shoultz said “video tags” exhibiting the logo of the sponsor company will precede the video clip.

Coach Tim Floyd said the new video board will not change his coaching routine during games.

“I always look at the scoreboards diagonal at the bench, and I usually don’t look up at the big board,” he said.

Floyd added the new video board will help fans cheer on the Cyclones.

“We have a tremendous amount of support of games here already because we have home-court advantage,” he said. “I am sure the board will only add to that.”

The $1.2 million price tag of the video board is being paid for in full by corporate donations. They have yet to determine the company that will manufacture the board, Shoultz said. All donations have been secured.

In exchange for their donations, corporate sponsors will receive “signage in the arena,” Shoultz said. Shoultz said the video board may become an important fund-raiser for Cyclone athletics.

“Eventually, this can prove to be a revenue producer for the athletic department,” he said.

Shoultz said the video board will be used by all athletic events, “at some level.” However, the specific functions of the board for different sports have not yet been determined.