Murray State University Athletics
Stewart Stadium Turf Replacement To Start Monday
4/5/2007 5:00:00 AM | Football
“We're very excited to see this process begin,” said Murray State Director of Athletics Allen Ward. “Stewart Stadium provides us with one of the best facilities in FCS football and having FieldTurf is only going to enhance the experiences of our student-athletes. Obviously the project is a team effort. The university as a whole has been very supportive, especially Kim Oatman and MSU's Facilities Management Department.”
The project includes removing the old turf and the material underneath it and then installing FieldTurf, an artificial surface that looks like grass, feels like grass and plays like grass.
“This is another notch in the ?W' column for FieldTurf and we are so delighted that it comes at a great university like
FieldTurf is the result of years of research - evident in the patented FieldTurf infill mix of silica sand and cryogenic rubber and patented layering process that deliver a system that emulates natural grass. Additional benefits are found in improved player safety and reduced maintenance costs.
“This is fantastic, absolutely fantastic,” MSU Head Football Coach
API Construction of Calvert City, Ky., will serve as the general contractor. API will conduct the demolition and site preparation and FieldTurf will conduct the installation.
FieldTurf allows for the three percent grade on the current surface to be reduced to 0.5 percent. The rise in the middle of the field will go from about 18 inches to three inches.
In addition to its growing popularity in the college ranks, FieldTurf has already established itself as the turf of choice in the National Football League. Twenty-one of the NFL's 32 teams currently use FieldTurf at their stadiums and/or their practice facilities. Also, three Major League Baseball teams will use FieldTurf at their stadiums in 2007.
MSU athletics will provide a “live cam” during the reconstruction project. Live video coverage of the process will be available on www.GoRacers.com Monday through Friday from approximately
Once construction begins the stadium track will be closed to the public for safety reasons. Large equipment and dump trucks will be moving in and out of the area as well as inside the field area. Caution should be used while traveling around the north side of the football parking lot.
Over the past few years, the quality and performance of FieldTurf's patented system has resulted in over 1900 installations in more than 40 countries, and has made it the first choice for top stadiums around the world. FieldTurf is a privately held company that has revolutionized the artificial turf industry with its patented products and installation technologies. FieldTurf also offers a full range of artificial grass solutions. For more information on FieldTurf, please visit www.fieldturf.com.
The Racers' home opener is on Sept. 15 against
