Illinois State Athletics is introducing a new fan engagement opportunity for the 2019–20 season that is sure to get Redbird fans excited, as the department will partner with CUE Live for a powered, crowdsourced light show sponsored by State Farm® during pregame introductions at Redbird Arena.
During all November volleyball matches and the entire men’s and women’s basketball home schedule, fans will have the opportunity to participate like never before using their smartphones and CUE Live technology to light up Redbird Arena during the intro video and team starting lineups.
“We are excited to roll out this technology that will allow our fans to get involved in pre-game introductions like never before,” Illinois State Assistant Athletics Director for Marketing Zach Schroeder said. “Each individual that participates will elevate the fan experience for everyone who steps foot inside Redbird Arena. Illinois State is proud to be one of the first mid-major schools to implement this technology and it will be another great addition to the already fan-friendly ISU Athletics mobile app.”
To participate, fans will simply need to download the free Illinois State Athletics app from their app store prior to heading to the game. The public address announcer will prompt fans to open the app prior to the lights going out for team introductions. CUE’s inaudible triggers will take over, pulsing fans’ smartphone flashlights and LED screens in sync to the beat of the Redbirds’ intro music.
CUE technology doesn’t require cellular service, Bluetooth or a Wi-Fi connection to work, eliminating the connectivity issues that typically plague fans at sporting events.
“We love partnering with universities to create new traditions, and it was a privilege to work alongside Illinois State,” CEO of CUE Audio Jameson Rader said.
Additional fan engagement components to this agreement with CUE Audio include a Selfie Cam and Gameday Trivia, which will occur at volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball to give fans more opportunities to engage right from their seats. These components will also reside within the ISU Athletics mobile app and operate the same way, utilizing the inaudible triggers when fans have their app open to participate.
