DALTON, Ga., June 22, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Historic Fawcett Stadium in Canton, OH, home of the NFL's annual Hall of Fame Game, will install FieldTurf in time for this year's August 9 matchup between the Denver Broncos and the Washington Redskins. The announcement was made today by FieldTurf CEO John Gilman. This news places yet another feather in the cap of FieldTurf, the industry's runaway leader in artificial turf.
One of the first major events for Fawcett Stadium's FieldTurf will attract a national television audience when ABC airs the Broncos-Redskins game on "Monday Night Football." This year's matchup will attract additional media interest as it will mark the return to coaching of Washington's Joe Gibbs. All 40 previous Hall of Fame games have been played at Fawcett Stadium. Additionally, the East-West High School All-Star Game will be held at Fawcett on July 24.
"The Pro Football Hall of Fame is very pleased that FieldTurf is installing a new playing surface in Fawcett Stadium in time for this year's nationally televised AFC-NFC Hall of Fame Game," said Pro Football Hall of Fame President John Bankert. "Fawcett Stadium is a first-class facility with a storied history. Since the first Hall of Fame Game in 1962, there have been 96 future Hall of Fame members who played or coached in the annual Hall of Fame Game. Time and again we've heard from past participants how inspiring it was to play in Fawcett Stadium right next to the Hall of Fame. Some even admit to having dared to dream that one day he might return to Canton to be honored with induction into the game's most elite fraternity. The Hall of Fame is proud to be a part of the continuing effort to keep Fawcett Stadium a first-class facility so that more dreams may eventually come true."
"We are proud to have won this contract and we'll move mountains to make sure that the field is ready for the high school all-star game in July," said Gilman. "There is a lot of history at Fawcett with all of the great players who have performed on that field. We are delighted that future NFL, college and high school players will now be performing on FieldTurf, and thus being assured that they will be playing on the best and safest product in existence."
"We're delighted to be getting FieldTurf at Fawcett Stadium. FieldTurf is the undisputed leader in the artificial turf industry, and it was important to us to get the best product on the market," said Tom Brabson, Director of Physical Activities for the Canton City Schools. "With all of the college and high school games that Fawcett hosts, in addition to the Hall of Fame Game, our new FieldTurf surface will ensure that all of those games are played on the safest, most playable surface. This installation will allow us to save significantly on field maintenance, and of equal importance, it guarantees us a consistent surface, no matter how often the field is used or what the weather conditions may be."
Completed in 1939, Fawcett Stadium originally seated 15,000 and, at the time, it was the largest high school stadium in the country. On the grounds of the facility is the world-famous Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame Game is annually played in conjunction with Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies. In 1997, Fawcett underwent a major renovation that included a new scoreboard (with replay capabilities), new pro-style locker room facilities and an upgraded press box. At that time, Fawcett was also renamed to include the words Pro Football Hall of Fame Field.
In 2002, The Sporting News rated Fawcett Stadium as the number one high school football venue in America. To make sure that designation remains intact, the Canton City Schools System has elected to install state-of-the-art FieldTurf, which will replace the facility's previous AstroTurf surface. In addition to the annual Hall of Fame Game, Fawcett is also the home to two colleges (Malone College and Walsh University) and three high schools (Glen Oak, McKinley, and Timkin).
The Canton School Board's final decision on new turf for Fawcett initially came down to FieldTurf and one other competitor. While not the low bidder on this project, FieldTurf is the only manufacturer that has the sound financial resources and a third party insurance policy to back its warranty. The recent bankruptcy of SRI Sports, the former maker of a competing product called AstroPlay, left over 500 schools and communities with a worthless warranty for their fields.
FieldTurf has attracted significant attention in the artificial turf industry as being the only company that backs up its product with a third party warranty guarantee.
Over the past few years, the quality and performance of FieldTurf's patented system has resulted in over 950 installations in more than 20 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 offers a full range of artificial grass solutions. For more information on FieldTurf, please visit fieldturf.com, or call (800) 724-2969.