The massive, $13.9 million scoreboard going live this weekend in Auburn University’s Jordan-Hare Stadium has a major Cullman County connection.

The steel structure frame for the 190-by-57 foot scoreboard screen (10,830 square feet) was fabricated in Cullman, by local company North Alabama Fabricating Company, Inc. (NAFCO). The screen represents the largest operational scoreboard in any collegiate stadium.

NAFCO provided the steel frame, and the new screen is surrounded by a gray facade on the borders with a massive “AU” shield logo in the top center.

According to Jim Smothers, NAFCO executive vice-president, the project totaled approximately 850 tons of structural steel, which NAFCO fabricated, delivered and erected. The project was only awarded in February, and Smothers said they fast-tracked the work to meet Auburn’s accelerated schedule, and had the entire frame erected by July.

“I think it’s a good fit, to have a local company handling something like this, and we’re not that far away,” he said. “We love to do high profile jobs in our own backyard. Anytime you can do the work here, you have even more of a vested interested.”

The scoreboard will have its official, public debut this Saturday, as the Tigers host Jacksonville State at home.

Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn believes the scoreboard could be a big factor in itself this season, telling AL.com he’s tried to get his team accustomed to seeing it, so they won’t be distracted on game day.

“It’s big and it’s bright and you can’t miss it. It really grabs your attention,” Malzahn told AL.com. “We turned the scoreboard on and it definitely caught my attention. I want to get our players used to it, because it’s a factor. It’s a big factor.”

‰ Trent Moore can be reached by e-mail at tmoore@cullmantimes.com, or by telephone at 734-2131, ext. 134.