UNIVERSITY SEES BIG BENEFITS IN SYNTHETIC TURF ON HOUCK FIELD

Southeast Missouri State University's "field of dreams" centers on installation of synthetic turf that looks and feels like grass but has none of the drawbacks of a natural surface.

That's the message from university officials, who say the FieldTurf product the university wants to install on its football field won't cause injuries to athletes like traditional synthetic carpet.

"It has all of the advantages and none of the disadvantages," said Don Kaverman, Southeast's athletics director.

It would allow the university to make greater use of Houck Stadium for everything from athletic events to band festivals.

Cape Girardeau Central High School also would benefit from the new turf because the Central Tigers no longer would have to play their home football games on Thursday nights when the university's football team is scheduled to play at home on Saturdays. The synthetic turf would allow the high school to play its games on Friday nights.

"It makes it a whole lot better on our scheduling," said Central High Athletics Director Terry Kitchen.

The high school's boys and girls soccer teams also could play on the turf. The university plans to play its football and women's soccer games at Houck.

Kitchen said more than one event could be held the same day. The high school could play a football game on a Saturday afternoon, and the university could play that evening.

The new field opens up the possibility that Cape Central could play its homecoming football game on a Saturday, he said.

There is no risk of damaging the field even on rainy days, Kitchen and Kaverman said.

The field could handle up to 10 inches of rain an hour. The storm water would drain into the city's sewer system through pipes under the field.

The university's Board of Regents last week voted to replace Houck's grass field with synthetic turf contingent upon funding. Some $300,000 of the funding for the $744,000 project is expected to come from private donations. The rest would come from the university and revenue generated by the football program. As of Friday, the university had pledges of about $241,000 toward the project.

Vibra-Whirl of Panhandle, Texas, has been chosen to install the new turf, and a contract is expected to be signed last month. Excavation work could begin in January, and installation of the turf could be completed within four months, said Kaverman.

Kaverman and Kitchen were among a delegation that visited a stadium in Amarillo, Texas, this fall that has a FieldTurf surface. The stadium is owned by the Amarillo School District. Four high schools use the field.

"It really is a nice looking surface," said Kaverman.

Kaverman said the synthetic grass would save the university at least $20,000 a year in maintenance costs. "You don't have to mow it. You don't have to water it."

The Amarillo School District spends $500 to $1,000 a year to maintain the artificial turf. Previously it was spending $35,000 a year to maintain a grass field, Kaverman said.

The Amarillo field is about 2 years old. "The more they play on it the better it has gotten," he said.

The FieldTurf product is about 4 years old. The University of Nebraska recently installed the turf in its football stadium. Kaverman said several National Football League teams are looking at installing the turf in their stadiums.

The artificial turf features synthetic fibers that are sewn into a carpet, which is installed over a sand and rock base. The fibers are filled with a mixture of fine sand and ground-up rubber. The rubber comes from recycled running shoes, windshield wiper blades and rubber seals on cars.

The surface has great shock absorbency, said Kaverman, and it doesn't grab at players' shoes like traditional artificial surfaces.

Kaverman said the big difference is that the turf isn't placed over asphalt, eliminating the unpopular hard surface.

"This is like grass. It even looks and feels like grass," said Kaverman. "It is not abrasive at all."

Kitchen initially was worried that the synthetic turf would be detrimental to athletes. "My biggest concern was safety first," he said. Kitchen said he didn't want to see high school athletes suffer injuries because of the artificial turf.

Kitchen came away convinced that the surface is safe. He said the Amarillo high schools actually experienced fewer knee injuries since going to the artificial surface.

The Cape Girardeau School District pays $1,000 to the university for every home game it plays at Houck Stadium. The school district keeps the revenue from ticket sales but doesn't get any of the concession dollars at the high school's football games.

Gate revenue typically exceeds expenses, said Kitchen.

The school district likely will pay a larger rental fee to the university once the new turf is installed. But Kitchen doesn't expect a large increase.

Kitchen said the new turf's ability to hold up in wet weather is a plus both for the players and for marching bands. He said the university won't let the high school band perform on the natural grass at Houck Stadium when it is raining for fear it would tear up the field. With the new turf, the marching band can take the field even in a downpour, he said.