When the University of Tennessee Volunteers took to the field at Neyland Stadium against South Carolina, Tennessee went “Dark Mode” for the night game matchup, wearing all black uniforms on the field before they brought home another victory. Bandit Lites once again upped the ante for the Nightmare at Neyland fan experience, complete with the pregame light show set to music designed by Bandit Lites own Alex Becker.
“When you cut the lights off and you hear 102,000 fans scream at the top of their lungs, you know it has something to do with the lighting,” said Becker. “We are constantly changing the light shows for each game, so every time there is a light show the fans get something new at each game.”
Bandit donated a lighting system that includes Elation Proteus Maximus, two wireless solutions black box for wireless DMX for fixtures across the stadium and a CHAUVET ChamSys MagicQ MQ50 for control. Bandit also controls the existing Musco sports lighters, Musco RGBA wash fixtures, and VOLS letters, as well as operating every light in the stadium, using them nonstop between whistles.
Around five days before kickoff and once the game time has been determined, Becker begins crafting the light show. “There was no specific direction regarding the look of the lighting other than “Let’s melt people’s faces!” said Becker. “I have been working with Jimmy Delaney, UT’s Associate Athletics Director of Marketing, over the past seven years. He will bring these big ideas to the table (song choices, videos, etc.) and then say, ‘do your magic.’”
Bandit’s team also provided the classic Bandit tour T-shirts and handed them out to the stadium crew, creating a real team vibe. They proudly say Nightmare at Neyland, a reference to the challenge every visiting team faces.
“Kirk Herbstreit of ESPN said on national TV, ‘Tennessee owns the in-game experience,’ and we do,” shared Bandit Lites Chair Michael T. Strickland. “The magic we create with the concert lighting layered into a Power 5 College football game is a spectacle.”
“Danny White, the Tennessee Athletic Director, had the vision to allow Bandit to make the UT games the most exciting in all of college football, and we are proud to do that every Saturday,” he finished. “No team, college or pro, comes close. Bandit does it all for free as our way of giving back.”
Further information from Bandit Lites, Inc.: www.BanditLites.com
