Arkansas State gettin' new turf

MeanGreen61 · June 22, 2005

Former players funding project.

ASU's AD gettin a little fiesty or maybe they're gonna be our guest? Check this paragraph.

"I told Coach (Steve) Roberts that as soon as the team loads up to go to the New Orleans Bowl, we’ll have the bulldozers on the field to start moving dirt,” Lee said. “It will be at the end of the season. There will be two road games to end the season, so it’s a matter of whether he wants to practice on the field those two weeks or go ahead and get started moving forward".

http://www.jonesborosun.com/story.asp?ID=10503

ASU to install turf after 2005 season

By Kevin Turbeville

Sun staff writer

JONESBORO — Indian Stadium will have an artificial playing surface, but not for the 2005 football season.

Director of Athletics Dean Lee said Arkansas State has decided to wait until the end of the coming season to replace the stadium’s grass field with artificial turf. ASU has been dealing with drainage issues at Indian Stadium, and those have delayed the project to the point where Lee doesn’t feel comfortable that it could be completed in time for ASU’s Sept. 10 home opener.

“It got to the point where the risk involved wasn’t worth it,” Lee said Tuesday night. “I think in having discussions with everybody, as much as we wanted it to happen for the upcoming season, we feel like it’s in the long run the best decision and we’ll end up in the long term with a better product because we did allow ourselves to take the time to do it right.”

Lee said artificial turf can be installed within a period of 45-60 days, but he didn’t think there was enough room for error to start now.

The cost of the project, which is being funded through donations, is estimated at $600-650,000. Lee said ASU has commitments for $350-400,000, mostly from former Indian football players.

“We feel very good about that,” Lee said. “They’re the ones who got it in motion and have provided the backing and the enthusiasm. This will allow us a little more time to do the fund-raising and try to secure the last third to 40 percent that we need to finish the project.”

Lee said ASU has verbal agreements with ProGreen of Denver for the turf and with Lasiter Construction of Little Rock for work at the stadium.

A retaining wall will be built around the bottom of the stadium, Lee said, with drains installed behind the wall. That part of the project should be completed before the team starts practicing in August.

Additional drains, ditches and pipes will be part of the turf’s installation, Lee said.

Turf installation could begin after the Indians’ final home game of 2005, the Nov. 12 game against Troy.

“I told Coach (Steve) Roberts that as soon as the team loads up to go to the New Orleans Bowl, we’ll have the bulldozers on the field to start moving dirt,” Lee said. “It will be at the end of the season. There will be two road games to end the season, so it’s a matter of whether he wants to practice on the field those two weeks or go ahead and get started moving forward.

“Before we started anything, we wanted to make sure with the timeline that we all felt comfortable with the situation and the direction we’re going. As soon as the bulldozer goes out on the field pushing the dirt, you can’t turn back then.”

Edited June 22, 2005 by MeanGreen61

PlummMeanGreen · June 22, 2005

What? No more muck and mire in ASU's swamp?!?! Congrats to all at ASU!

UNTFan23 · June 22, 2005

“I told Coach (Steve) Roberts that as soon as the team loads up to go to the New Orleans Bowl, we’ll have the bulldozers on the field to start moving dirt,” Lee said.

Stan R · June 22, 2005

Hey - good on them for wanting to be there to support North Texas. You'd kinda expect the rest of the Sun Belt teams to be there to support NT as well.