DURHAM, N.H., July 17, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- The summer months of 2007 have been hot on two counts -- the temperatures have been soaring and so has the number of NCAA schools that have selected FieldTurf for new athletic installations.
The University of New Hampshire is the latest NCAA member to choose the worldwide turf leader, as the Wildcats will install FieldTurf at Mooradian Field at Cowell Stadium. The joint announcement was made by FieldTurf Tarkett CEO John Gilman and UNH Athletics Director Marty Scarano. The installation of the new surface is expected to be complete in early August and it will get its debut on September 22 when the New Hampshire football team hosts Dartmouth in the 2007 home opener.
FieldTurf will replace the natural grass that the Wildcats have been playing on at Cowell Stadium. The state-of-the-art surface for UNH will be very similar to the new FieldTurf that received rave reviews when it was installed for the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium during the 2006 campaign.
"We're awfully excited about getting FieldTurf at Cowell Stadium," said Scarano. "Without question, FieldTurf has proven to be the gold standard in the industry as it exists today. It's the premier product in the field. At UNH, this will give us great versatility, safety and consistency for our student-athletes. Our new FieldTurf will greatly enhance our facilities and will also give us a competitive edge."
"We're delighted that another fine New England university has elected to install FieldTurf at their primary athletic venue," said Gilman. "With FieldTurf's outstanding versatility and playability, our surface makes so much sense for schools like UNH that may face some tough winter weather. With FieldTurf, Coach (Sean) McDonnell's football team and the other Wildcat squads that will be utilizing Cowell Stadium will be playing and practicing on the finest surface in the world. And Mr. Scarano will have countless options during all seasons to utilize the new FieldTurf to its fullest extent."
UNH is a member of the Colonial Athletic Conference, and the Wildcats football team posted a 9-4 record in '06. The 2007 season will mark the 65th year that the Wildcats will be playing at Cowell Stadium, which was known as Alumni Field until 1952. At that time, it was renamed for former UNH athletic director and head football coach Butch Cowell.
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 Boston College, Harvard, Rutgers, Nebraska, Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Oregon, Washington, Kansas State, Louisville, Syracuse, Texas Tech and Missouri. 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