Kansas University’s athletics department is looking into an improved public address system for Allen Fieldhouse.
“One of our top priorities is to replace the existing sound system.” KU facilities director Darren Cook said Monday. “It’s not good for music or speech. We want to get it more intelligible for pre-game music and at the same time the P.A. system.”
Cook said the cost would be between $250,000 and $400,000. The system may not be installed by next season. It may be packaged with a new video board.
KU plans to pay $7,000 for a study to determine if the Allen Fieldhouse rafters can handle the weight of a video board. The board, if feasible, could conceivably be installed for the 2002-03 season.
Many fans had difficulty hearing the speeches of KU’s three senior men’s basketball players on Sunday at the fieldhouse, despite the fact KU bought a new mixer last year.
A mixer is a piece of equipment that controls the volume and tone for the microphones in the P.A. system.