HAMILTON, N.Y., July 18, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- FieldTurf continued to make rapid inroads with college football stadiums in the Northeast when it was selected for installation at Colgate's Andy Kerr Stadium. Colgate Athletics Director David Roach and FieldTurf Tarkett CEO John Gilman made the joint announcement.
The new FieldTurf surface will debut on September 1 when the Raiders host Albany in their 2007 home football opener.
The FieldTurf at Andy Kerr Stadium will replace the natural grass that was difficult to maintain due to the harsh winters in upstate New York. Andy Kerr Stadium is one of the most charming and intimate football facilities in the region. Expanded in 1991, the stadium has a capacity of 10,221.
"The installation of FieldTurf in Andy Kerr will be a tremendous asset to our football team and all of our programs," said Roach. The ability to practice and play in all types of weather is crucial to all of our teams."
"More and more college athletic administrators at universities in the northeast and Midwest are realizing that it makes so much sense with regards to performance, safety and economics to install FieldTurf," said Gilman. "We are proud to be associated with such an outstanding academic and athletic institution as Colgate. The Patriot League is one of the finest conferences in the storied tradition of East Coast football. Coach Biddle and his players will immediately reap benefits from playing on the world's finest artificial turf."
As members of the Patriot League, Colgate has captured five league championships, including three in the last four seasons. The Raiders have appeared in the NCAA Division 1-AA tournament seven times, and the squad earned a spot in the 1-AA championship game in 2003.
More than 40 major NCAA universities have FieldTurf in their stadiums, with many more utilizing it at their practice sites. A selection of other universities that have FieldTurf in their football stadiums include Syracuse, Rutgers, Boston College, Nebraska, Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Oregon, Washington, Kansas State, Louisville, Texas Tech, Missouri and Harvard. In addition, 21 of the National Football League's 32 teams have FieldTurf at their stadiums and/or practice complexes. Also, Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Minnesota Twins and Toronto Blue Jays have FieldTurf at their respective stadiums.
FieldTurf Tarkett is the largest entity in the sports surfacing industry and provides unparalleled leasing capabilities, engineering and manufacturing resources. In addition to its world-renowned FieldTurf and Prestige brands of artificial turf, FieldTurf Tarkett provides an equally impressive range of products that includes synthetic and hardwood basketball, volleyball and gymnasium flooring, squash and racquetball courts, floor protection and covering systems, and weight room flooring. Also in the range of FieldTurf Tarkett products are indoor and outdoor running tracks including the high performance 'Le Monde' track system, playground surfacing, and a complete range of tennis and golf surfaces. For more information, please visit www.fieldturftarkett.com