After teaming up with JMI Sports and SportsLabs a couple of months ago, the University of Kentucky athletic department has taken their increased digital media presence to new heights. After revamping their website and mobile applications, SportsLabs has added a new trick to their Kentucky Wildcats Gameday app—an interactive Ring of Honor.
Launching at the Wildcats’ football game against Tennessee on Saturday, fans can approach the Ring of Honor in Commonwealth Stadium and learn more in-depth information about each former athlete through the app. Each section in the Ring of Honor has been fitted with a Bluetooth sensor from Gimbal, and as a fan nears the Ring of Honor, they will receive a welcome message. Then, as a fan nears each former athlete’s placement within the area, they will receive player cards with historical information on them.
This is not the first time Gimbal has worked in a major college stadium, recently having worked with the University of Wisconsin to give fans a more location-aware arena experience.
SportsLabs has previously worked for college athletic programs like Kansas State, and even entire conferences like the ACC. But their work has primarily been in the realm of creating a more user-friendly website and mobile experience. This will be their first venture into this variety of augmented reality in the world of college sports.
“The walls between a digital and physical experience are increasingly thin in all aspects of our modern lives,” said president of SportsLabs John Burris. “Kentucky’s stadium installation is a perfect example of what’s happening not just in sports entertainment, but in society.”
Additionally, Commonwealth Stadium has been geofenced, so fans will receive a welcome message as they enter the stadium.