Post by oleschoolaggie on Apr 10, 2014 13:47:41 GMT -5
welp, looks like hampton is adding synthetic turf at their stadium. seemingly more and more meac schools are adding synthetic turf. famu had it in their plans to be installed last year, but i don't know if its still on their drawing board. i heard that famu didn't generate enough funds. but when you include hampton, the meac now has more than half its schools playing on synthetic turf. so will that trend continue at aggie stadium? i use to think we'd lose out on our current drainage system, but after reading the news article on hampton's new turf, we might be able to keep our same drainage system if we added synthetic turf.
hampton is paying approximately $800k for theirs and it comes with a 10 year guarantee. the way maynor explained it in the article i've attached below, it may actually save us some money in the long haul. plus, our practice field gets beat up pretty good after several weeks of the season starts and our aggie stadium grass starts turning "brown" toward the end of the season. in addition, when it rains, we especially beat up our natural grass fields.
i kinda like the idea of adding synthetic turf at aggie stadium. it would make our stadium even more attractive, especially with the new naming rights and aggie bulldog being displayed on the new pressbox. plus, when our practice field starts getting beat up, we could practice on the stadium field without causing additional damage.
the following meac schools will all have synthetic turf when the 2014 season starts, the article on hampton's new synthetic turf is below;
hampton
bcu
dsu
nccu
morgan
howard
scsu
meac schools that have grass surfaces;
a&t
ssu
norfolk
famu* (famu has plans to add synthetic turf)
www.dailypress.com/sports/colleges/dp-spt-hu-armstrong-astroturf-20140409,0,3689768.story
Hampton University to install artificial turf at Armstrong Stadium
By Dave Fairbank, dfairbank@dailypress.com
4:45 p.m. EDT, April 9, 2014
Hampton University will install synthetic turf at Armstrong Stadium later this spring and the field will be ready well in advance of the 2014 football season.
"A huge deal," HU coach Connell Maynor said. He said a new, state-of-the-art turf field is a recruiting tool and will allow the team to practice outside in bad weather.
Poor conditions forced the Pirates indoors on several occasions last season, because both Armstrong Stadium and the practice field behind the stadium have natural grass surfaces.
"You can't expect a football team to go out and win a football game, not practicing outside and having to practice inside in the gym," Maynor said. "That's going to be huge for our football program and the direction we're trying to take it, where we won't miss a practice."
Installation will begin after graduation, May 11, and is expected to be complete by the end of June or early July, Maynor said. He said the cost of the project is approximately $800,000, but that the expense will be offset by savings from maintaining a natural grass field.
"You're talking about a turf (field) that's going to last you 10-15 years," he said. "You look at the cost of painting a grass field, seeding, watering, upkeep, maintenance, you're saving a ton of money by going with the turf."
Hampton U. officials selected AstroTurf's 3D Decade product, which comes with a 10-year warranty and is considered one of the industry's best and most durable surfaces. Old Dominion installed similar surfaces at S.B. Ballard Stadium and the football practice fields at the L.R. Hill Complex.
The present field at Armstrong Stadium will be excavated. Base construction and a drainage system will be installed before the artificial surface is laid down.
hampton is paying approximately $800k for theirs and it comes with a 10 year guarantee. the way maynor explained it in the article i've attached below, it may actually save us some money in the long haul. plus, our practice field gets beat up pretty good after several weeks of the season starts and our aggie stadium grass starts turning "brown" toward the end of the season. in addition, when it rains, we especially beat up our natural grass fields.
i kinda like the idea of adding synthetic turf at aggie stadium. it would make our stadium even more attractive, especially with the new naming rights and aggie bulldog being displayed on the new pressbox. plus, when our practice field starts getting beat up, we could practice on the stadium field without causing additional damage.
the following meac schools will all have synthetic turf when the 2014 season starts, the article on hampton's new synthetic turf is below;
hampton
bcu
dsu
nccu
morgan
howard
scsu
meac schools that have grass surfaces;
a&t
ssu
norfolk
famu* (famu has plans to add synthetic turf)
www.dailypress.com/sports/colleges/dp-spt-hu-armstrong-astroturf-20140409,0,3689768.story
Hampton University to install artificial turf at Armstrong Stadium
By Dave Fairbank, dfairbank@dailypress.com
4:45 p.m. EDT, April 9, 2014
Hampton University will install synthetic turf at Armstrong Stadium later this spring and the field will be ready well in advance of the 2014 football season.
"A huge deal," HU coach Connell Maynor said. He said a new, state-of-the-art turf field is a recruiting tool and will allow the team to practice outside in bad weather.
Poor conditions forced the Pirates indoors on several occasions last season, because both Armstrong Stadium and the practice field behind the stadium have natural grass surfaces.
"You can't expect a football team to go out and win a football game, not practicing outside and having to practice inside in the gym," Maynor said. "That's going to be huge for our football program and the direction we're trying to take it, where we won't miss a practice."
Installation will begin after graduation, May 11, and is expected to be complete by the end of June or early July, Maynor said. He said the cost of the project is approximately $800,000, but that the expense will be offset by savings from maintaining a natural grass field.
"You're talking about a turf (field) that's going to last you 10-15 years," he said. "You look at the cost of painting a grass field, seeding, watering, upkeep, maintenance, you're saving a ton of money by going with the turf."
Hampton U. officials selected AstroTurf's 3D Decade product, which comes with a 10-year warranty and is considered one of the industry's best and most durable surfaces. Old Dominion installed similar surfaces at S.B. Ballard Stadium and the football practice fields at the L.R. Hill Complex.
The present field at Armstrong Stadium will be excavated. Base construction and a drainage system will be installed before the artificial surface is laid down.