LEXINGTON, Ky., May 12, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- The University of Kentucky has selected FieldTurf for installation at the school's football indoor practice field. The announcement was made jointly by Wildcats Director of Athletics Mitch Barnhart and FieldTurf Tarkett CEO Joe Fields. The installation at UK's Nutter Field House will be completed in June, thus Kentucky Head Football Coach Rich Brooks and his squad will have full use of their new FieldTurf surface by the time fall practice convenes in August.
Former Kentucky All-America linebacker Frank LeMaster, who now works as a sales executive for FieldTurf, was actively involved with this sale. LeMaster is also a member of the Wildcats' 100th Anniversary Team.
Kentucky has four full-sized football practice fields, including three outdoor fields (two grass, one artificial turf) plus the indoor field at Nutter Field House. Considered one of the top collegiate indoor football/track facilities in the U.S., Nutter will now feature a 58,304-square foot football field surrounded by a six-lane, 290-meter track. Nutter actually has an electronic netting system that allows for different combinations of sports to practice simultaneously.
"I'm very excited about the change," said Kentucky Head Football Coach Rich Brooks. "The FieldTurf will be much more conducive to good practices when we use our indoor facility."
"We are pleased to earn this association with the University of Kentucky, a school with a storied athletic tradition and membership in the SEC, perhaps the finest and toughest football conference in the country," said Fields. "FieldTurf's reputation as the worldwide leader in artificial turf is built on safety and performance, and we have never compromised an inch in adhering to that company philosophy. FieldTurf will provide Coach Brooks and his team with a state-of-the-art turf field that will be the finest in the SEC. We want to express our thanks to Mitch Barnhart and his staff for the confidence that they have shown in FieldTurf."
Twenty-one of the NFL's 32 teams utilize FieldTurf at their stadium and/or practice facility. In addition, more than 40 major NCAA universities have it in their stadiums, including Nebraska, Ohio State, Michigan, Louisville, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Washington, Oregon, Boston College, Rutgers, Kansas State, Texas Tech and Missouri. Also, MLB's Tampa Bay Rays, Minnesota Twins and Toronto Blue Jays have FieldTurf at their respective stadiums.
With over 2500 installations in almost 50 countries, 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 sports flooring 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, the Resisport track system, the Beynon track surfaces, playground surfacing, commercial and residential landscaping, and a complete range of tennis and golf surfaces. For more information, visit www.fieldturftarkett.com.