DeKALB — The Convocation Center, a building that welcomes over 215,000 people a year for a variety of events, could undergo some major renovations.

Projects to update and enhance the Convocation Center were approved Feb. 15 at a Board of Trustees meeting as the scoreboard, video display board and the Nelson Suite will undergo renovations.

Funding to replace the center’s video display board and scoreboard will come from student fees and money generated from the Convocation Center.

The Athletic Department proposed to implement a five-year financing plan to accompany the financial implications of replacing both boards, according to John Cheney, senior associate athletic director for Internal Operations.

“We realize that now is probably not the best time to put a large investment and spend resources on a large investment,” Cheney said. “Unfortunately, it’s a matter of time before technology becomes obsolete and you have to make that investment.”

Both boards were installed when the Convocation Center was built in 2002 and require frequent repairs to operate, according to Sarah McGill, vice president for Administration and Finance.

McGill said the boards are used during all events held at the Convocation Center, and components needed to fix them are obsolete.

“The video display board and the scoreboard are essential to provide a quality experience to hosts and visitors and serves as a critical element to enhancing the potential revenue generation for the attendance and advertisement sponsorships,” McGill said.

Cheney said the department has reached the point where they are worried about the outdated technology, particularly the video board.

“If it doesn’t [maintain], that can have a significant impact on the Convocation Center because almost every event, athletic or non-athletic, utilizes that board,” Cheney said. “For us to maintain and be a regional hub we want to be, it’s to the point where we need to replace it.”

Cheney added that improving the looks of the Convocation Center is a good idea to present the facility well to a potential naming rights partner, one who they hope to name in May.

NIU is declaring a Request for Proposal in search of potential business partners for the naming rights to the Convocation Center, the first time this has been done in the state of Illinois.

“Changes and updates are a good thing,” said T.J Hopkins, senior journalism and history major. “They should change it to something more modern. I’ve gone to games, and sometimes that scoreboard is hard to read.”

The administration also re-engaged in talks with the Nelson family to modernize the Nelson Suite, including improving the seating, lighting, flooring and food service area.

The suite is available for fans to rent on a game-by-game basis when the donor is not occupying the space.

“The intent is to improve the fan and attendee experience,” Cheney said. “For the most part, the Convocation Center is in great shape, there’s just some small things to modernize a little bit.”