EVANSTON, Ill., June 28, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- For the second time in two years, Northwestern University has selected FieldTurf for a major athletic installation on the school's historic Evanston campus. NU Athletic Director Mark Murphy and FieldTurf Tarkett CEO John Gilman jointly announced that FieldTurf will be installed at the Wildcats' brand-new soccer and lacrosse stadium that is slated to open this fall.
The latest addition to Northwestern's athletic facilities will be located along the banks of Lake Michigan, and will feature permanent grandstands, a press box and a new scoreboard.
"The new facility is going to make a very positive impact on our program," said Northwestern Head Men's Soccer Coach Tim Lenahan. "We are using the same surface that Toronto F.C. is using in their new MLS stadium that was built for the Under-20 Championships this summer. Several MLS players who played on the surface raved about it. The ability to practice and play almost year-round on such a great surface will allow us to play quality soccer."
"The new facility is going to be a fantastic enhancement to our program and will immediately make us more competitive within the Big Ten," said NU Head Women's Soccer Coach Stephanie Erickson. "The FieldTurf surface is cutting edge for soccer and will guarantee an excellent playing surface in all conditions. This new facility will be one of the most beautiful soccer facilities in the nation-overlooking Lake Michigan, the Chicago skyline in the distance and on the campus of our incredible university."
"From everything we have heard, Northwestern's new soccer facility will undoubtedly be one of the premier collegiate soccer environments in the nation," said Gilman. "FieldTurf has long been at the forefront of developing the world's finest artificial turf for the sports of soccer and lacrosse, and we are delighted to have been selected to showcase our product at NU's newest state-of-the-art athletic venue. We've previously done business with Northwestern, and it is always a pleasure to work with Mark Murphy and his outstanding staff."
In 2005, Northwestern selected FieldTurf for installation on its primary football practice field, and that surface has received rave reviews from Wildcat players and coaches. Besides allowing the Wildcat football squad to practice in inclement weather, the FieldTurf has also permitted NU to better prepare for Big Ten opponents who have FieldTurf in their stadiums (Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio State, Wisconsin).
In U.S. professional soccer, three MLS teams currently play their home games on FieldTurf (New England, New York, Toronto). In addition to its growing popularity in the college ranks, FieldTurf has already established itself as the turf of choice in the National Football League. Twenty-one of the NFL's 32 teams currently use FieldTurf at their stadiums and/or their practice facilities. Also, three Major League Baseball teams are using FieldTurf at their stadiums in 2007.
Over the past few years, the quality and performance of FieldTurf's patented system has resulted in over 2000 installations in more than 40 countries, and has made it the first choice for top stadiums around the world. FieldTurf has revolutionized the artificial turf industry with its patented products and installation technologies. FieldTurf also offers a full range of artificial grass solutions. For more information on FieldTurf, please visit www.fieldturf.com.