St. Louis is the nation’s scoreboard capital

By Craig Kaminer

In 1934, in Greenville, Illinois, Ralph Nevinger wanted to keep the score of a basketball game. So he created a simple white oak cabinet with a glass dial clock and glass disks. Nearly nine decades later, that small one-man enterprise has grown into Nevco Sports LLC, the oldest and the largest privately held scoreboard company in the world with operations still in Greenville, as well as Edwardsville and Highland, Il. It is the leading designer, manufacturer, and marketer of customized sports scoreboards, integrated LED video boards, electronic display signs, scoring, sound systems, and related accessories. The company is considered the industry leader in end-to-end scoring and display solutions for sporting arenas internationally. 

Locally, you can find Nevco’s creations at Cardinal Ritter, Chaminade, DeSmet, Priory, Washington University, St. Louis University, and Maryville, as well as the Matthews Dickey Boys and Girls Club, among other spots. After the Blues won the Stanley Cup, the team hired Nevco to outfit the new Centene Center where they practice. Beyond our borders, schools such as, University of Central Missouri, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, Grambling State, McNeese State University, and Yale University sport Nevco scoreboards. The company has sold to of high schools, colleges, universities, recreational facilities and commercial properties in states across the nation. In 2022, Nevco purchased Lynx System Developers, the masterminds behind the technology used for photo finishes at a variety of sporting events, including The Kentucky Derby.

Before the advent of electronic scoreboards, teams relied on manual and rudimentary scorekeeping methods. As sports grew in popularity during the 19th century, more sophisticated methods of scorekeeping emerged. Mechanical scoreboards with numbered panels which could be manually flipped to indicate the scores and times became popular. The most common example of this was the hand-operated "flip-dot" scoreboard, widely used in baseball stadiums.

The introduction of electricity in the late 19th century paved the way for the development of electromechanical scoreboards. These scoreboards incorporated mechanical components driven by electric motors, enabling automated score updates. Electromechanical scoreboards were far more efficient than their manual counterparts and quickly gained popularity. They utilized a combination of rotating panels, light bulbs, and mechanical levers.

The 20th century witnessed a transformative shift in scorekeeping technology with the rise of electronic scoreboards. The introduction of vacuum tubes and later transistors enabled the development of electronic displays. Early electronic scoreboards used incandescent bulbs or neon tubes to display numbers and letters. They provided much brighter and more visible displays.

The digital revolution in the late 20th century brought about significant advancements in electronic scoreboards. LED (light-emitting diode) technology revolutionized the scoreboard industry. LED scoreboards offered enhanced visibility, better energy efficiency, and the ability to display vivid colors. These scoreboards became the standard in sports stadiums and arenas worldwide, offering dynamic displays capable of showcasing animations, video replays, and ads.

Modern scoreboards integrate with various data sources and deliver real-time information to spectators. They feature player statistics, instant replays, game-related graphics, and social media updates. Advanced control systems enable the seamless integration of multimedia content, enhance the spectator experience and provide comprehensive information.

As technology continues to advance, wireless and mobile scoreboards have gained in popularity. Wireless scoreboards eliminate the need for physical connections, enabling greater flexibility in installation and portability. Mobile applications allow fans to view scores and updates in real-time on their smartphones or tablets.

What is fueling the growth of the industry? According to Nevco CEO, Jeff Fiorini, “There's a megatrend right now where high schools aspire to have what the colleges' teams have, and the colleges aspire to have what the professional teams have. So that cascading effect is moving the category from being a traditional scoreboard to a multimedia video display. And we've spent a lot of time on improving our controllers that have for years driven that scoreboard.  We’re investing in changing the controller technology to be more user-friendly. The kids that are controlling that scoreboard in the next 10 to 20 years want to be able to do it from their phone or iPad. We haven't launched this yet, but Nevco is getting ready to launch a completely new platform of scoreboard control technology.”

Artificial Intelligence is obviously a hot button for all tech companies, but Fiorini says Nevco is a ways away from that. “The company’s focus in the near term is on pixel pitch where it's a more clear picture on the video display.” That's where a lot of the advancement is being done with high school gymnasiums or even high school football fields. And a big part of what Nevco finds is that universities are so competitive to recruit the top talent they are investing millions of dollars on new football fields, arenas and video displays. Even high schools are hyper-focused on having the biggest video display. If a high school down the street puts in a slightly bigger video, they're chomping at the bit to say, we need a bigger video display. No one wants to be left behind.

Experts agree that within 10 years, the game, scoring, and timing will all be handled differently, with AI and computers, not people.  As schools stream more of their games, the technology will improve the fan experience and will integrate stats and historical data, as they are now doing with professional sports. 

Congress has allocated $189 billion for Elementary Secondary School Education Relief (ESSER). for public elementary and high schools to ensure that if the schools need a new library or artificial turf or new scoreboards, that money was available. “As a result, the hockey stick that we've seen in our demand was a big part of schools being able to upgrade from a traditional scoreboard to a big video display with the ESSER funds,” Fiorini says.

Other schools raise money for new athletic fields and scoreboards with current parents, alumni and loyal fans of the program. Nevco Sports Marketing helps schools raise the funds for new scoreboards.  Working with the school athletic director, Nevco contacts the top companies in each community, raises the money, and puts in the new scoreboard. Moving forward, Nevco shares in that revenue that they created as a way to get paid. 

Like sports, if there’s a will there’s a way.

“Some schools are making sports streaming and sportscasting part of the curriculum, which is a really nice advancement for those kids that can't play on their high school basketball or football team, but they love being part of the experience and they love the energy that comes with a full gymnasium or a Friday night football game,” Fiorini says. “Some schools are moving to a curriculum that actually will help train and educate those kids and they may want to make that part of their career moving forward. When you consider all the mixers and all the instant replay, and communication skills to call a game, there’s a lot of opportunity for kids to play a major role in this for their school.”

The history of scoreboards showcases the remarkable progress made in the field of sports timekeeping. From ancient chalkboards to modern digital displays, scoreboards have evolved to enhance the spectator experience and provide comprehensive information. The transition from manual to electronic scorekeeping methods has revolutionized the way we engage with sports, with scoreboards becoming an integral part of the game. As technology continues to advance, we can expect further innovations in scorekeeping, pushing the boundaries of what is possible and continuing to captivate sports enthusiasts for generations to come.

And Nevco will be keeping score.