Franklin Field

Every year, tens of thousands of fans crowd into the historic Franklin Field stadium at the University of Pennsylvania to enjoy the Penn Relays:  a fast-paced track and field event that has been a Penn institution since 1894.

Three weeks before the 115th annual Penn Relays were to begin, Penn’s athletic director realized that Franklin Field’s 27-year-old sound system was no longer functioning.  His first call was to Clear Sound.  Within hours, a team of sound specialists was at Franklin Field, assessing the situation and making a plan to meet the impending deadline.  Working with engineers at Community Professional Loudspeakers, Clear Sound designed an entirely new system for the stadium.  Since the antique roof of Weightman Hall couldn’t support the weight of modern speaker clusters, a mechanical engineering firm created a custom made steel structure for supporting the new equipment.  Clear Sound oversaw the design, construction and installation of the platform, as well as the installation of the new loudspeakers, which had to be lifted into place with a crane.  Thanks to the team’s focus and expertise, the entire installation was finished within three weeks.  Fans will now be able to enjoy unprecedented sound quality during the Penn Relays for years to come.