DakClassroom Deep Dive – Empowering Students from Friday Night Lights to Sunday Shows

From its beginnings as a simple training guide to today’s full-fledged educational ecosystem, DakClassroom has become a national platform that equips students with real-world experience and connects them directly to college and career opportunities.

“It can’t be what they can’t see,” Kyle shared. “Part of DakClassroom is exposing them to what they can see, new things to see, because then they can be.”

That idea fuels the entire initiative. Students who might not compete on the field can still be part of the game by producing the show, controlling cameras, replays, graphics, and sponsor content for live audiences.

“There’s an opportunity for kids that don’t play sports to showcase their skills through video production,” Kyle said.

Real Experience, Real Impact

What makes DakClassroom different is that it’s built by people who live and breathe live production.

We not only build the product, but we live the usage of it,” Kyle said. “That combination lets us create a curriculum that prepares students the right way.

The program now includes 40+ lessons, teacher resources, national networking, competitions, and Crew Connect, a platform helping students find real production jobs after high school.

A Growing Community

DakClassroom isn’t just keeping up with change, it’s leading it.

“Trends change, styles change,” Kyle said. “We continue to follow those trends to make the best DakClassroom we can year after year.”

That constant innovation helped Daktronics earn the IDEA Partner Community Award, recognizing its mentorship and educational contributions to the industry.

“Winning the award was awesome, but what’s more powerful is what it means for the students who have DakClassroom on their resume,” Kyle noted.

From Friday Night Lights to Sunday Shows

Perhaps Kyle said it best himself:

From Friday Night Lights to Saturday Stadiums to Sunday Shows.

That phrase captures the mission, helping students take their classroom experience all the way to professional sports.

And as Kyle summed it up, this isn’t a one-time project; it’s a lifelong partnership.

“We want to be the partner of not only the teams but the people who run the systems — for their entire career.”

🎧 Want to hear the full conversation?
Check out the complete episode of The Daktronics Experience Podcast featuring Kyle Sydow, where we take a deeper dive into how DakClassroom is connecting education, technology, and opportunity for students nationwide. Listen on your favorite podcast platform or at Daktronics.com/Podcast.