Press Release
Wuppertal April 6, 2025
University of Notre Dame Scores Big With Riedel’s RefBox Technology
Riedel Communications today announced that the University of Notre Dame has successfully implemented Riedel’s RefBox solution, part of the company’s SimplyLive Production Suite, to streamline the way referees review plays and make critical decisions during on-campus sports events, including lacrosse and soccer, with a view to expanding to baseball and softball in the future. The university's decision to adopt RefBox stemmed from the need for a flexible and easy-to-use replay system.
“Riedel’s RefBox has truly transformed our officiating process — it's the most intuitive replay system our officials have ever used. It has significantly enhanced our ability to manage referee reviews. The response from both our referees and game management team has been overwhelmingly positive, with particular praise for RefBox’s user-friendly interface and impressive efficiency,” said Scott Rinehart, Senior Director at Notre Dame Studios. “What truly sets the RefBox apart is how it empowers our referees to conduct their own replay analysis independently. They don't need to communicate with a third party or rely on someone else's interpretation — it's just them and the views — while direct interaction allows officials to make decisions quickly and confidently, significantly enhancing the overall officiating experience and flow of games."
The RefBox system, which includes a 24-inch touchscreen monitor and a compact Intel® NUC computer, has been integrated into Notre Dame's existing campus network infrastructure to support live sports production. The system's intuitive touchscreen controls allow officials to quickly review multiple camera angles, zoom in on crucial moments, and make informed decisions without relying on external operators or complex communication processes. Taking advantage of its portability and straightforward setup, the university efficiently manages referee reviews for various sports across different venues on campus.
Beyond implementing RefBox to streamline officiating, Notre Dame has also explored using Riedel’s SimplyLive system for production purposes, leveraging its native NDI capabilities to stream and pull replays of club rugby matches and other events. The system's versatility is particularly impressive as it can easily convert between a production suite and RefBox in just two button presses. For club rugby matches, the SimplyLive system seamlessly integrates four NDI camera feeds over the campus network, enabling recording, replay, and full production capabilities within a single, standalone system. This all-in-one solution allows one operator to simultaneously serve as director, technical director, and replay operator. Moreover, the intuitive user interface, featuring familiar touch and swipe controls, remains consistent across different modes, making the transition between production suite, replay suite, and RefBox remarkably smooth for operators. This adaptability and ease of use demonstrates the SimplyLive system's potential to serve multiple roles within a university's sports broadcasting ecosystem — from officiating support to comprehensive production capabilities.
“The ability to deploy RefBox across multiple venues with minimal setup time has significantly enhanced our game day operations. We can literally roll it out, plug it in, and turn it on, and it’s ready to go, taking just 10 minutes to verify all inputs are correct, with all configurations handled server-side and no user setup required,” said Shawn DeWeerd, a Video Engineer at the University of Notre Dame. “The simplicity that the RefBox offers is a game-changer compared to our previous solution, which was cumbersome and too expensive to purchase multiple iterations for different locations. With RefBox, we can easily move it to wherever it's needed by connecting it directly to the campus network. And I've been able to walk people through the basics in just five minutes. If you can use an iPad, you can run SimplyLive.”
“RefBox has also caught the attention of other sports administrators within the university, who are impressed by its capabilities and ease of use,” said Dave Caulwell, Regional Sales Director at Riedel Communications. “In particular, soccer program administrators have been showcasing the system to their counterparts in baseball and softball,” he noted.
“The University of Notre Dame has been a valued Riedel customer for many years, and we're thrilled to see them continue expanding their adoption of Riedel products, finding new and creative use cases that push the boundaries of what our technology can achieve. Their innovative application of RefBox across multiple sports — from lacrosse to soccer and potentially expanding to baseball and softball exemplifies the system's versatility and ease of use while demonstrating the positive impact it can have on collegiate sports operations,” said James Skupien, Regional Sales Manager, North Central, at Riedel Communications. “Notre Dame's forward-thinking approach in leveraging our SimplyLive Production Suite for both officiating and production purposes showcases the adaptability of our solutions and reinforces our commitment to meeting the evolving needs of our partners in higher education athletics.”
