Carey Stadium Getting New Scoreboard

By MADDY VITALE Carey Stadium is home to major Ocean City High School sporting events, and it is also used by college teams. But the scoreboard needs to be replaced. It is antiquated and has failed on occasions. City officials have said it is even difficult to find parts to keep it operational. On Thursday, it is anticipated that City Council will approve a resolution to accept a gift of a new scoreboard. The donation by Tryce Organization LLC also includes the cost for its installation. “Tryce Organization LLC has offered to donate a new stadium digital scoreboard with associated structure, and to pay to have it installed at Carey Stadium at a location specified by the City,” the resolution reads. The digital scoreboard would be one-sided, facing the stadium, and would be available for all city events in the stadium, as well as other sporting events as permitted by the city, according to the resolution. Red Raiders play in 2021 at Carey Stadium. The resolution also states, “City Council recognizes that the proposed scoreboard would provide great value and community benefits to the city’s residents, visitors and business and school communities, now and into the future.” City spokesman Doug Bergen declined to comment Wednesday about the scoreboard donation, how much it is or when the scoreboard would be installed. However, he noted that there would be more information about it at Thursday's City Council meeting. More information wasn't immediately available on Tryce Organization LLC. While the new scoreboard will be utilized as simply a single-sided scoreboard, the city previously had big plans to purchase a high-tech, double-sided scoreboard. But with the bells and whistles also came a hefty $2 million price tag. The upgraded scoreboard would have been used for sports as well as concerts, movies and other special events. During a City Council meeting last December, Mayor Jay Gillian explained that a $2 million scoreboard would have been just too expensive. He also said that was the general consensus among the Council members. Gillian noted that it would have taken up to 10 years for the scoreboard to pay for itself through sponsorship and advertising. The city planned, instead, on purchasing a new single-sided scoreboard at a price of around $100,000. But with the donation, the city will be saving those funds. Over the last few years, Carey Stadium has hosted some of the top high school football teams in the region in the “Battle of the Beach” showcase. The stadium complex is also rented out by some college athletic programs for their workouts, including Villanova University’s football team. The Villanova University football team has used Carey Stadium for practices.