Strong Rumor on Colgate Board as to FieldTurf and Lights at Andy Kerr Stadium

[Go...gate]

Apparantly word on this came out during Colgate's Reunion Weekend. Definitely has provoked mixed emotions from my fellow Red Raiders.

If this is true, I guess there is no standing in the way of progress. Just look at Marist's, Fordham's, Georgetown's and especially, Lafayette's upgraded facilities.

I will miss the frozen tundra of Andy Kerr Stadium. Where the Hell will my ashes go? xrotatehx xlolx

[TheValleyRaider]

I guess I can deal with FieldTurf, but LIGHTS!?! For what, 1 or 2 games a year before kickoff temps drop below 40? Not necessary, IMO.

[89Hen]

LIGHTS!?! For what, 1 or 2 games a year before kickoff temps drop below 40? Not necessary, IMO.
FWIW, Delaware only plays three games at night each year but lights were a great addition to the Tub. xthumbsupx

[Lehigh Football Nation]

I'm not a huge fan of FieldTurf for the sake of FieldTurf. I happen to think turf is being used way too much as a cost-saving measure when grass still is an extremely viable option. Lafayette may have needed it as part of their renovations, but I can't help thinking with just a little more care and a better drainage system they could have kept the real stuff. One of the things that gives Lehigh a special feel is their grass, and Lehigh/Lafayette has never had field problems in the Goodman era (even after those rains that made Goodman a slop in 2005).

On the other hand, I think lights seem to be a great addition to our fields, give a lot of flexibility for game times, and help light the place in case of bad weather. It also just gives games a big-time feel. Last year's Leh/Laf game was a prime example. With the JumboTron and the lights, it felt really special.

It also would give some flexibility in case of an expanded PL TV package. What about a "doubleheader Saturday"? It only works if more schools have lights.

[89Hen]

I'm not a huge fan of FieldTurf for the sake of FieldTurf. I happen to think turf is being used way too much as a cost-saving measure when grass still is an extremely viable option.
Any guesses on how long before mpls shows up?

[Pard4Life]

Lehigh has an excellent grass field and it is maintained well.. I would have no idea why they would ever want to change it... like you said, it has held up well in rainstorms.

Fisher had to be changed. Even before the Columbia '05 game, the field would take a hard beating each year... it was built on an old baseball field and garbage dump.. not exactly stable..

Now that Colgate will get turf, Lafayette will be playing ALL of its games in certain years on FieldTurf... HC and Lehigh would be the only grass stadiums left... a shame I say.

Lights at Kerr? I'm not sure you would get many more folks to attend that way..

[DFW HOYA]

If this is true, I guess there is no standing in the way of progress. Just look at Marist's, Fordham's, Georgetown's and especially, Lafayette's upgraded facilities.

Please, let's not get ahead of ourselves. xeyebrowx

[89Hen]

Please, let's not get ahead of ourselves. xeyebrowx
BTW and sorry to say but G'town's field looks like crap on TV. Very shiny and blotchy, much like the field at the Meadowlands/Giants Stadium. Many of these field turfs look like crap on TV. Turned on a lacrosse game (DC vs. NJ, don't know what league) and instantly recognized G'town's field without even seeing the logo at midfield.

[DFW HOYA]

The turf hasn't been there two years and it already looks like it's been there for ten.

Sad to say, that's the extent of the "upgrade.", unless you count the temporary bleachers:

[PLLB]

the word is the field turf and lights at andy kerr are being installed so lax can play big time games in the stadium.

[MplsBison]

I've never seen a fieldturf field look bad day or night, in person or on TV.

[89Hen]

I've never seen a fieldturf field look bad day or night, in person or on TV.
You view the world through plastic glasses. xcoolx

[ngineer]

I guess I can deal with FieldTurf, but LIGHTS!?! For what, 1 or 2 games a year before kickoff temps drop below 40? Not necessary, IMO.

Agreed there--unless they're going to do what Bucknell does with Christy Mathewson Stadium and use it for field hockey, lacrosse and soccer. Plus they let Lewisburg HS use it for HS football. So unless it's going to get the 'multi=use' no sense on having lights.

[GannonFan]

BTW and sorry to say but G'town's field looks like crap on TV. Very shiny and blotchy, much like the field at the Meadowlands/Giants Stadium. Many of these field turfs look like crap on TV. Turned on a lacrosse game (DC vs. NJ, don't know what league) and instantly recognized G'town's field without even seeing the logo at midfield.


I agree - FieldTurf fields don't look good at all on TV, especially at night. I definitely agree with the shiny aspect of it.

[Ken_Z]

Agreed there--unless they're going to do what Bucknell does with Christy Mathewson Stadium and use it for field hockey, lacrosse and soccer. Plus they let Lewisburg HS use it for HS football. So unless it's going to get the 'multi=use' no sense on having lights.

field hockey, women's lax http://bucknellbison.cstv.com/facilities/buck-graham-field.html

and soccer http://bucknellbison.cstv.com/facilities/buck-varsity-soccer-field.html

have their own fields. the phase III photos of the joint field grandstands are pretty nice (but no Lafayette football castle)

men's lax does play there and there is high school football as you noted.

by the way, football practice facilities are on the list for next athletic facilities upgrades along with baseball and softball fields.

[colgate13]

Let's all not forget that there is a practice bonus to lights on the field turf as well... Late in the season there will now be two fields to practice on that are not dark at 4:30 - and one of them will be turf which will help when conditions are less than ideal for practice.

IMO this is an 80/20 lax/football deal. Football will get one/two night home games a year and a great added bonus of hosting playoffs again if we're ever lucky enough. Lax gets a way to play in front of (hopefully) bigger crowds. Personally I think Colgate is starting to (rightfully so) see itself as a football in the fall, hockey in the winter and lacrosse in the spring school. With the right amount of money into each program, we can compete for national championships in each every year. This will keep football relatively happy for several years while Colgate builds a new hockey arena. It's absoultely coming next.

I'm a grass guy, but I see why it was done. These are the steps we need to take to stay competitive.

[ngineer]

field hockey, women's lax http://bucknellbison.cstv.com/facilities/buck-graham-field.html

and soccer http://bucknellbison.cstv.com/facilities/buck-varsity-soccer-field.html

have their own fields. the phase III photos of the joint field grandstands are pretty nice (but no Lafayette football castle)

men's lax does play there and there is high school football as you noted.

by the way, football practice facilities are on the list for next athletic facilities upgrades along with baseball and softball fields.

I was going on memory from 1998-02 when my daughter was at Bucknell. I recall that some of the above teams played in the football stadium, hence the reason for the various other paint lines on the Field Turf. Perhaps it was due to the construction of the new fieldhouse which took away some athletic fields that were to the east. Christy Matthewson is a nice stadium, my only complaint, as a visitor is having to look into the sun.xcoolx

[appfan2008]

imo... lights are much more important than field turf if you arent having problems with your grass and from the sounds of it colgate isnt... lights help in a number of ways but one big one is that games in november dont have to start at noon or so to be finished before the sun starts to set... i know it would get cold but think about the better tailgating if that game could now start at say 2 and everyone could have lunch in the parking lot and the game would be done by 5 or so before it gets to cold... and also the lights would help a lot in cloudy or foggy situations... i believe they are a must in todays world

[LUHawker]

I hope Lehigh keeps the grass field as I also agree with other posters that it is a good field and holds up well. However, I would love lights at Lehigh. This would allow for both night games (obviously) but also open up the opportunity for a 4:00pm start which would be a nice time, particularly earlier in the season when some of us have housework/kids' obligations/honey-do projects, etc. to take care of earlier in the day. Any idea what the lighting cost at LC?

[LBPop]

Georgetown's field turf essentially eliminated a spring health hazard. Until it was installed, spring practice was held on the old Kehoe Field carpet to protect the grass field for lacrosse. It is a great example of the worst kind of 1970's artificial turf and it would cause several injuries each spring. LBKid severely sprained an ankle on that stuff just planting and turning...he missed his freshman spring game. It still affects his play two plus years later. Other injuries that year on that stuff cost a couple of kids their regular season.

While I love the real thing, with a lack of space for other sports Georgetown had to do it. So now the Hoyas play on a modern surface in front of a crowd (word used advisably) sitting on small, plastic, "temporary" seats. How does that saying go about lipstick on a...?

[Seawolf97]

Lights will make a difference. Also great for lacrosse and soccer.

[colgate13]

Lights will make a difference. Also great for lacrosse and soccer.

Soccer has its own field with lights (so does lax though), the lax connection is about attendance. The lax field can't handle more than 1,000 or so I think. When you host Syracuse some years, you need more than that!

[MplsBison]

Georgetown's field turf essentially eliminated a spring health hazard. Until it was installed, spring practice was held on the old Kehoe Field carpet to protect the grass field for lacrosse. It is a great example of the worst kind of 1970's artificial turf and it would cause several injuries each spring. LBKid severely sprained an ankle on that stuff just planting and turning...he missed his freshman spring game. It still affects his play two plus years later. Other injuries that year on that stuff cost a couple of kids their regular season.

While I love the real thing, with a lack of space for other sports Georgetown had to do it. So now the Hoyas play on a modern surface in front of a crowd (word used advisably) sitting on small, plastic, "temporary" seats. How does that saying go about lipstick on a...?



Just from looking at Google Maps, there appears to be a large park strip to the west of the GU campus.

Any chance facilities can be built there?

Because other than baseball it appears all your facilities are (amazingly) on campus.

[DFW HOYA]

Just from looking at Google Maps, there appears to be a large park strip to the west of the GU campus.

Any chance facilities can be built there?

Because other than baseball it appears all your facilities are (amazingly) on campus.

That area you described is a federal park. There is a less than zero chance it would be ceded to Georgetown.

Baseball used to be on campus in a natural amphitheater setting. It got chewed up for a business school building.

http://www.library.georgetown.edu/dept/speccoll/i/page/airmed69.jpg

[MplsBison]

It's not like you'd take up the whole park.

Not even close. Just the area between Canal and Resevior:


http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/7299/guax8.jpg



You could build a 40k Big East football stadium, new 15k bball arena, new baseball stadium. Still have some room left over.

[Go...gate]

Guess it was a pretty good rumor...ground was broken today. No more games on the frozen tundra in the gathering dusk. xbawlingx