SeattleNDfan wrote:

JerfyT wrote: Are they putting in turf?

My understanding is that they have decided on the Grassmaster hybrid turf that Lambeau Field and the Eagles and Broncos stadiums have.

Installing that is considerably more involved that field turf, because it includes digging a heating and irrigation system which goes six feet under the playing surface. 

Ongoing maintenance costs are also much, much higher than with plastic field turf.

But the benefits are it won't/can't freeze and the traction is better than either natural grass or field turf while being much more yielding than field turf because it is actual sod, just anchored by a nylon netting so that chunks cannot come up.

Downside in the South Bend climate is that the grass growing season ends long before the season does, so unlike field turf the field is going to have less and less of the grass part of the hybrid surface as the year goes on.

But the same or worse is true in Green Bay and Philly.

Question #2 then is: Will they have it ready by August 31st?

I love the yellow pants, they look like victory!

I thought they started doing preparations to install the new field last spring/summer.... so they could hopefully give themselves enough time to get it completed this offseason. But don't quote me on that...

GoldRushND wrote:

SeattleNDfan wrote:

JerfyT wrote: Are they putting in turf?

My understanding is that they have decided on the Grassmaster hybrid turf that Lambeau Field and the Eagles and Broncos stadiums have.

Installing that is considerably more involved that field turf, because it includes digging a heating and irrigation system which goes six feet under the playing surface. 

Ongoing maintenance costs are also much, much higher than with plastic field turf.

But the benefits are it won't/can't freeze and the traction is better than either natural grass or field turf while being much more yielding than field turf because it is actual sod, just anchored by a nylon netting so that chunks cannot come up.

Downside in the South Bend climate is that the grass growing season ends long before the season does, so unlike field turf the field is going to have less and less of the grass part of the hybrid surface as the year goes on.

But the same or worse is true in Green Bay and Philly.

Question #2 then is: Will they have it ready by August 31st?