Video board is coming

Football fans who have been disappointed with the quality of the scoreboard at Youngstown State University's Stambaugh Stadium should be in for a treat this year.
This summer, one of the university's new contracts pertains to a new scoreboard in the football stadium.
In the works is a plan to bring in a state-of-the-art scoreboard that will rival some professional facilities, according to athletic director Ron Strollo.
A video board will be an impressive part of the new display in the north end zone of the stadium. YSU is planning on showing replays, videos and highlights on the board once it is installed later this summer.
Last year, Strollo was impressed with the display board Northern Iowa used at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and he put a new scoreboard near the top of his Stambaugh Stadium list.
Tailgate meeting
Last Wednesday, members of the athletic department and more than 30 season-tailgate holders had a productive discussion at the DeBartolo Stadium Club.
Strollo addressed the group for more than an hour in a town hall-style forum, informing and taking questions from tailgate pass holders interested in YSU's new policies.
The fans who attended the meeting asked a variety of questions, and the general theme was people are worried about what tailgate lot they may end up in for the coming season.
YSU officials have worked hard researching their tailgate policies since the end of last year.
While some of the people who attended the meeting were disappointed, most came away with the feeling that everything would get worked out.
Individuals came up to Strollo after the meeting and said this was the best he could do with the loss of the F-2 (DeBartolo) tailgate lot.
Following the forum, the ticket office remained open as people who attended the meeting purchased season tickets, some renewed their tailgate passes and at least two individuals joined the Penguin Club.
The athletic department invited all season-tailgate pass holders to the meeting, and Strollo and associate athletic director Rick Love were on a local radio talk show last Wednesday. The department has tried to be very up front about the changes that are taking place.
Div. I-AA preseason team
The Sports Network, the country's top consultant on I-AA college football, recently released its 2004 preseason All-America team.
As expected, there were no YSU Penguins listed on either the first or second team, but senior placekicker Nick Terracina was named honorable mention.
The Gateway Conference as a whole did quite well on this year's team, getting 11 players named on either the first or second team, the most by any Division I-AA conference in the country.
Five Gateway players were named to the first team, two from league co-champion Southern Illinois, while Illinois State, Western Kentucky and Western Illinois each landed one.
Center Elmer McDaniel (Southern Illinois), guard Fred Layne (Western Illinois) and tackle Buster Ashley (Western Kentucky) were named to the first team offense while linebacker Boomer Grigsby (Illinois State) and safety Alexis Moreland (Southern Illinois) were recognized on defense.
In all, 78 players from 13 different conferences were selected to the team. The Atlantic 10 and Big Sky had nine players each selected and the Ohio Valley and the Southern had eight apiece.
McNeese State, which the Penguins will play Sept. 18, had three players selected, making a total of 14 that YSU will go up against this year.
The Gateway also had two of the top three placekickers named as Illinois State's Stephen Carroll earned second-team mention.
Women's golf outing
Don't forget about the Youngstown State women's basketball program's golf outing, presented by Home Savings & amp; Loan Co. on Aug. 10 at Reserve Run Golf Course.
For more information, contact assistant coach Stacy Krueger at (330) 941-3116.
XPete Mollica covers YSU athletics for The Vindicator. Write to him at mollica@vindy.com.