REGENTS OK NEW TURF FOR HOUCK STADIUM

Southeast Missouri State University officials hope the grass will be greener for the school's football program now that the Board of Regents has agreed to replace the natural grass surface at Houck Stadium with synthetic turf.

The regents Friday approved the administration's plan to install FieldTurf synthetic grass at a cost of $744,021. Vibra-Whirl of Panhandle, Texas, will install the new turf next year. The contract is contingent upon sufficient funding.

Private donors already have pledged $241,000 toward the $300,000 to $350,000 being sought in contributions for the project, school officials said.

The rest will come from university funds, revenue from guarantees paid to Southeast for playing Division 1-A football teams over the next five years and additional ticket sales.

The new turf was one of three projects approved by the regents. The other two are construction of a lighted intramural field at Sprigg and Bertling at the cost of about $300,000 and construction of a parking lot on Henderson Avenue for commuter students.

The tennis courts on Henderson will be torn down to make room for parking for 120 cars. The project is expected to cost $200,000 to $230,000.

In other business, the regents accepted annual audit reports, including one that showed Southeast had revenues of more than $100 million in fiscal 1999. The fiscal year ended June 30.

University officials said this marks the first time that the school's budget has been over $100 million.

School officials said the turf project will allow Houck Stadium to be used for a variety of activities from football to women's soccer and marching band festivals.

The new turf will allow the university to make better use of the aging stadium.

Jim Limbaugh of the university's Boosters Club said the amount of money already pledged to the turf project shows the public's enthusiasm for the synthetic grass.

Limbaugh said candidates for the job of football coach at Southeast were pleased that Southeast is committed to improving the stadium.

Recruiting quality football players begins with the turf, he said.

Limbaugh said the project demonstrates the university's commitment to the football program.

Don Dickerson, president of the Board of Regents, agreed. "I don't think the university wants to give up on the football program."

Don Kaverman, Southeast's athletics director, said the synthetic grass is better than previous synthetic turfs. The rubber-and-sand product is more like real grass, he said. As a result, Kaverman doesn't expect to see the type of injuries that athletes have suffered on artificial surfaces at other stadiums.

"We believe this is the turf of the future," he said. A couple National Football League teams are planning to install similar synthetic grass fields, Kaverman said.