The top-ranked Arizona men’s basketball team begins Pac-12 Conference play tonight when it hosts Washington State at 8 p.m. on the Pac-12 Network, a.k.a. the channel not good enough for DirecTV.

While the first chance to watch the 13-0 Wildcats in action in nearly two weeks is a good reason to tune in, the team isn’t likely to be the main draw.

What is, you ask? Why, none other than the McKale Center’s fancy schmancy new four-sided overhead video board, which the school has been installing above the court since Arizona’s last game on Dec. 23.

Why yes, it does look big enough to crush the entire Wildcats and Cougars rosters during pre-game warmups.

The new, mammoth contraption is part of a multi-phase overhaul of McKale, which all told will cost $80 million and will include new seats, better concessions and bathrooms and lots of other bells and whistles.

Though, to call this video board a bell or a whistle is a little underselling that. To quote Mike Myers from So I Married An Axe Murderer, “that’s a virtual planetoid! Has it’s own weather system!”

And when it’s all lit up and stuff … look out!

This article appears in Dec 26, 2013 – Jan 1, 2014.