University Of Tulsa Debuts New 3D Projection System At Reynolds Center

The University of Tulsa has a new 3D projection system to make basketball games more interactive for those on and off the court.

TU men's and women's basketball fans may come for the sport, but they now also get a show.

The university calls it a "game changer" for the Reynolds Center.

The new system not only projects 3D images onto the court, it also allows fans to be immersed in the experience through a virtual game of pong during half time and timeouts.

"You can see dimensions,” explained Jason Malay, TU Associate AD for Revenue Generation and Fan Engagement. “It looks like the floor is falling away, it looks like a hurricane is raising up from the floor, it looks like there's clouds swirling."

Malay said the intro video, starting lineups, and music were all made specifically for TU and showcased using four digital laser projectors hanging from the ceiling.

Malay said it has been a slam dunk with players and fans.

"As soon as they saw there was a big 'wow' factor, they felt like this is something they have that nobody else really has and they felt like it was something really cool to Tulsa," said Malay.

Reed Nelson, Assistant Director of Athletic Video Services, produces the games and said the system is easy to use.

"This whole station runs our projection,” said Nelson. “Everything on our rack from here down is what it takes hardware wise to run it."

Another unique part of the system allows fans to play a virtual game of pong by putting monitors on their heads.

"There's seven infrared cameras on both sides, both sides of the court, and they can receive the reflection off these little eyes,” explained Nelson. “And then, from there, that's how they understand the positioning on the court and where the player is."

TU said OneOK, the court sponsor, paid for the system.

The Golden Hurricane now have technology like the Cleveland Cavaliers, Florida Gators, and Vegas Golden Knights.

"My favorite thing every time is to look over at the visiting team because instantly, their heads start looking around and they're like, 'What's going on?' so it's pretty cool," said Malay.

Staff said they hope to eventually use this new system at volleyball games and other big events like graduations.