SYRACUSE, N.Y., May 19, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Syracuse University has selected FieldTurf as the new surface for The Carrier Dome and for three other university athletic fields, it was jointly announced today by SU Athletic Director Daryl Gross and FieldTurf CEO John Gilman. The order to FieldTurf for four fields is believed to be the largest single commitment by an NCAA school.
The new FieldTurf will replace the Astroturf that is currently in place at The Carrier Dome. The stadium's new FieldTurf surface will get its football debut when the Orange host West Virginia on September 4. In addition to The Carrier Dome, FieldTurf will also be installed at two of the team's football practice fields, and on its field hockey field.
FieldTurf is currently in use in more than 30 NCAA Division 1-A football stadiums including Nebraska, Michigan, Wisconsin, Oregon, Washington, Kansas State, Boston College, Louisville and Missouri.
"The ongoing development of our facilities is again on display," said SU Head Football Coach Greg Robinson. "We will have the opportunity to play on a surface in the Dome that is the closest thing to having grass in an indoor facility. Having two practice fields side-by-side outdoors gives us the freedom to have practice space. The FieldTurf will provide consistent footing, which is even better than grass, and enable us to prepare outdoors even in inclement weather."
"Everyone at FieldTurf is very proud to enter into this association with Syracuse University," said FieldTurf CEO John Gilman. "Syracuse has long had an outstanding football tradition to go with its reputation as one of the finest athletic programs in the Northeast. With SU being a member of the Big East, more of that conference's member schools will get the opportunity to play on what is undoubtedly the finest artificial surface in the world. I want to personally thank Daryl Gross, Greg Robinson and the rest of the Syracuse athletic department for the confidence that they have shown in FieldTurf. I can promise that the Orange players, coaches and fans will like what they see when the team takes the field against West Virginia on September 4."
The Carrier Dome opened in 1980 and currently seats 49,250 for football. It is the only domed stadium in the Northeast and is the largest structure of its kind on any college campus in the U.S. Through the years, The Dome has hosted a variety of top-level events such as NCAA championship play in basketball, lacrosse and track and field, plus concerts by performers such as Elton John, The Rolling Stones, Frank Sinatra, U2, The Who and Billy Joel.
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-two of the NFL's 32 teams currently use FieldTurf at their stadiums and/or their practice facilities. Also, three Major League Baseball teams are using FieldTurf at their stadiums in 2005. FieldTurf was also the first artificial turf product approved by FIFA (soccer's world governing body) for World Cup play.
The NFL Players Association recently conducted a survey of all NFL players who were asked to rank the league's 32 stadium fields on a variety of factors, such as playability, safety, etc. The NFL players ranked FieldTurf fifth out of 32, and amazingly, NFL players rated FieldTurf ahead of 15 of the league's 19 natural grass fields.
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, reduced maintenance costs and flexibility for conversion - allowing stadium managers to quickly change the field from one sport to another or to easily host a variety of sporting events, concerts and other special events directly on top of the FieldTurf surface.
Over the past few years, the quality and performance of FieldTurf's patented system has resulted in over 1,300 installations in more than 40 countries. For more information on FieldTurf, please visit www.fieldturf.com or call (800) 724-2969.