Until Saturday, UMass had been playing at the New England Patriots’ home in Gillette Stadium while their own brand-new facilities were being built.
But they found out Saturday that “brand-new” doesn’t necessarily mean “flawless.”
During an injury timeout early in the third quarter of the Minutemen’s 47-42 homecoming loss against Bowling Green — their first game back in Western Massachusetts since the 2011 season — the video board at McGuirk Alumni Stadium suddenly collapsed. MassLive’s Nick O’Malley reported that it “(rocked) the stadium with a loud boom.”
Luckily, no one was injured by the falling structure. UMass spokesperson John Sinnett told MassLive that a hydraulic failure caused the crash, and no one was around when it collapsed. The video board was located just outside of the stadium, so nothing within the building was damaged either.
The boards are rented, so a new one will arrive in time for UMass’ next home game on Oct. 18 against Eastern Michigan. However, Sinnett said that hazmat crews will have to clean up spilled hydraulic fluid and probably will have to dig up the soil.
Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@nickjomalley
