The biggest change that is going to come from this extension will be that ticket takers will now be able to download your ticket on your phone and have an associate scan it.

With the renewed partnership, Cincinnati upgraded Paciolan's Access management technology to allow the university to provide its fans and students with mobile ticketing and delivery. Beginning with the 2014-15 men's basketball season at Fifth Third Arena, Bearcats fans will be able to bypass will call lines and enter the venue upon arrival with 2D barcoded tickets on their mobile devices. In addition to using the Access solution at Fifth Third Arena, Cincinnati will implement the technology for the 2015 football season at Nippert Stadium after its renovation and expansion during the 2014 season.

That's cool, but thats not what I am interested in at the moment. The passage in bold is what I am interested in. A while back there was a piece here at Down The Drive detailing what I would want in a future renovated Fifth Third Arena. Before that I made a similar, if less detailed plea for the Bearcats to see where the market is heading and get out ahead of it.

That little nugget from the press release is the first concrete evidence that we have that the decision makers at the University of Cincinnati are thinking in the same general terms that I am. They are acknowledging the presence of the smartphone in a way that they haven't in recent years. What remains to be seen is how aggressive and expansive they decide to get while Nippert is still but a sprout in a field. The possibilities are pretty vast, UC's people just need to decide what they like. For a whole lot of obvious reasons implementing these changes are going to be a whole lot easier as New Nippert rises.