After several months of reconstruction along with a few hitches in the road, Strawberry Stadium’s football field is nearing the end of its renovation journey.
After a few bids, the Lions Athletics Association was able to purchase the New Orleans Saints turf from the Mercedes Benz Superdome, saving several hundred thousand dollars. The construction began in late January and will be completed by the end of May.
“We’re very appreciative. It’s a joint effort and with funding the way it is with the budget cut, one certain person can’t do it all,” said Bart Bellairs, athletics director. “The future is bright. Being a bit more limited forces you to use resources and creativity. Creativity adds for cohesiveness sometimes and the chance to really have people unify for a common good.”
Every year the Saints replace their speed s5-m synthetic turf, which is manufactured by UBU Sports, sports surfacing specialists. The previous bidder for the turf canceled their order, causing it to be available to the Athletics Association last minute. Because the last turf replacement took place eight years ago, the Lions were due for updates either this year or the next. The carpet had become hard and the fibers were course making it hazardous for the athletes.
“It’s a lot more dangerous for the athletes,” said Bellairs. “If the fiber is pure and consistent, it’s like playing on grass and you don’t get as many knee injuries and all that.”
While brand new turf would have cost anywhere from $700,000 to $800,000 the athletics association was able to take out a loan to purchase the Saints turf for $500,000. The money will be gradually paid back to the bank from the athletics association and other university funds such as donors, signage and ticket surcharges.
Along with the new turf came the transfer of a warranty, which lasts eight years, starting as soon as the construction is complete. While the installations are being overseen by UBU Sports, they hired Hawkins Development Company as the subcontractor.
The construction process was initially delayed due to downpours and other weather issues. During the construction the workers discovered soft soil beneath the turf that needed to be repacked as well as faulty conduits that needed to be replaced.
“We also added drainage just to make sure that if all else stays the same, hopefully in eight to 10 years when we have to replace it, all we’ll have to do is pull the turf off and then lay new stuff on,” said Bellairs. “Nothing has set us back too much. We want to make sure they do it right.”
One significant change being made to the field is the removal of the track. According to Bellairs the field will now have almost twice as much room which will aid in the strength and conditioning of the athletes. It will also be available to women’s soccer, intramural sports and other student activities.
“It’s going to be fantastic for multiple uses. All of our other sports will be able to utilize it for the strength and conditioning components,” said Andrew Bechac, senior associate athletics director for internal operations. “The football field will also have extra warm up and practice space in the areas outside of the competition field, which of course makes it a safe environment for all.”
While the main turf came directly from the superdome, the lions will have their own new end zones. The end zones have already been laid down with yellow and black letters.
“The giant ‘S’ in the middle is going to be green. If the end zones were green, there would have been so much green that the end zones would have just faded,” said Bellairs. “We wanted something to pop, despite the fact that yellow and black are not our school colors.”
If the money comes through, the athletics association would also like to add video boards to the stadium. In addition to the modifications to the football field, the athletics association has made several other sport improvements such as a new bullpen and hitting cage for the baseball field, bleachers for track and new lockers for women’s sports.
For more information or updates on the football stadium visit lionsports.net.