SportsTurf

November 2016

SportsTurf provides current, practical and technical content on issues relevant to sports turf managers, including facilities managers. Most readers are athletic field managers from the professional level through parks and recreation, universities.

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FACILITY & OPERATIONS 46 SportsTurf | November 2016 www.sportsturfonline.com REBELS RETURN TO THEIR ROOTS Editor's note: This article was provided by Sports Turf Company, Inc., Whitesburg, GA. T here are certain challenges inherent in growing natural grass in large stadium environments. Stadiums cast shadows that limit sunlight. Edges of the field are difficult to maintain because of high volumes of traffic. Field maintenance crews have to balance providing the right amount of water without flooding portions of the field. So some coaches saw a perfect looking synthetic field as exciting to fans and a great recruiting tool as it always looked ready for game day. In 2003, the University of Mississippi installed synthetic turf at Vaught Hemingway Stadium. By 2015 their second synthetic field was nearing the end of its lifespan. Head coach Hugh Freeze said during a press conference, "I think here in Mississippi, we ought to be able to play on grass." Ross Bjork, athletic director, seconded the call saying, "We think it's the right thing to do for our program on many, many levels. Natural grass is the preferred playing surface of our players and our coaches. In the SEC West, Arkansas and we are the only two programs that have artificial turf. The rest have natural grass, so we think it's the right move." The decision was made via unanimous vote to pull up the carpet after the 2015 season and replace it with natural grass. The university embarked on a process with some big decisions to be made. While natural grass was the preferred playing surface, it was decided to install a short pile synthetic surface in high traffic areas around the perimeter of the field, creating the ideal balance between synthetic where it was needed and natural grass where it counts most — where the game is played. A competitive bid process emphasized qualified sports field contractors with proven experience in projects of the size and scope of Vaught Hemmingway's Stadium. Sports Turf Company Inc. was found to be the most quali- fied, with four certified field builders on staff and an extensive background in natural and synthetic field construction. Aaron McWhorter, founder and President of Sports Turf Company, Inc. points out, "Very few sports field contractors could have performed the scope of work which included field demolition and construction, storm water, concrete and coach's towers. It was realistically a 7 month scope of work, during the winter rainy season, with a 5-month timeline for completion." PLANNING Bob Calta, certified project manager of Sports Turf Company, Inc., recalls, "It took a lot of time and a lot of planning on all ends before renovation and construction could even begin. There were a lot of considerations. Disposal of the synthetic turf. Deep excavation and extraction of fourteen inches of sand, clay, stone and synthetic field drainage components. Twenty or more owner-requested change orders with no change in deadline." Ed Norton, landscape architect and partner at Holcombe Norton Partners, Inc., was the lead designer and coordinated

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