OSU football to install artificial turf
Real grass didn't cut it for the Buckeyes this year, so the natural will give way to the artificial for 2007.
By
Doug Harris
Staff Writer
Thursday, November 30, 2006
COLUMBUS — After fighting all season to give its football team a suitable playing surface, Ohio State has decided to go with a low-maintenance variety next year.
The school will install artificial turf at Ohio Stadium after the 2007 spring game, ending a 17-year stretch with natural grass.
"As we've said all along, we want to have the best field possible, and we think this gives us that opportunity," said Steve Snapp, OSU's associate athletic director for communications. "We practice on artificial surfaces, and we've had some good luck with it. And over the years, the surface itself has been improved. We feel good about it."
OSU resodded the field for the first time in four years in late September at a cost of $75,000, but foul weather kept the new turf from taking root. It was resurfaced again about one month later for $60,000, but players were still slipping during the season finale against Michigan.
Don Patko, OSU's assistant athletic director for facilities management, said his crew battled unseasonably cold weather this year and a record rainfall in October. And while he would have liked for the Buckeyes to remain one of six Big Ten schools with natural-grass stadiums, he was ready to make the change.
"I think the reasoning is, we want more use out of the field," he said. "With grass, we're only getting 15 or 20 days of use with a multi-million-dollar stadium. We get calls from coach (Jim Tressel) wanting to come over. ... We want to provide a consistent surface for them during the season to use whenever they want."
Patko said the school is still shopping for a synthetic turf, but OSU installed the popular FieldTurf on two practice fields in recent years. And he estimated the cost of outfitting the Horseshoe at $400,000 to $600,000.
The school also will have to pay for damage done after the Buckeyes' 42-39 win over Michigan on Nov. 18. Fans stormed the field and ripped out much of the sod for souvenirs, but Patko said his crew has already begun patching the holes.
"It'll be ready to go in the spring," he said.
Yeah, you know why Ohio State are really changing to artificial turf??
To keep their cheerleaders from grazing on it..
LOL