BLOOMINGTON, Ind., July 25, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- FieldTurf, the world leader in artificial surfacing, made further inroads in the prestigious Big Ten Conference today when it was selected by Indiana University for installation at Memorial Stadium. The announcement was made by IU Associate Athletic Director Jack Garrett and FieldTurf Tarkett CEO Joe Fields. The state-of-the-art FieldTurf surface will get its official debut on August 30 when the Hoosiers' football squad opens the 2008 season against Western Kentucky.
Indiana becomes the seventh Big Ten school to have FieldTurf as its official stadium surface, joining Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State and Wisconsin. Additionally, Penn State and Purdue utilize FieldTurf as a football practice surface.
The new FieldTurf replaces AstroPlay, which had been in poor playing condition after having been installed at Memorial Stadium in 2003.
"Everyone associated with our football program is eagerly awaiting the installation of our new FieldTurf," said IU Head Football Coach Bill Lynch. "So many schools in our conference also have FieldTurf, and there's no doubt that it's the top-of-the-line as far as artificial surfaces. I fully expect that FieldTurf will provide us with a surface that's very consistent with regards to playability and safety. We can't wait to get out there and play on it."
"There's no question that the Big Ten is truly one of the nation's 'power' conferences, and everyone at FieldTurf is excited to have yet another Big Ten school select our product," said Fields. "Coach Lynch is building upon the fine football program at Indiana, and we're thrilled to be on board as one of the cogs in the Hoosier football machine. I know that Coach Lynch and his players will find their new FieldTurf surface to be a considerable upgrade in terms of playability and safety, and we are confident that Hoosier fans will also find it to their liking."
Memorial Stadium opened in 1960 and has undergone significant improvements over the years to maintain its status as one of the fine facilities in the Big Ten. In recent seasons, those improvements have included a renovated press box, the addition of club seats and suites, and a major locker room renovation. Memorial Stadium has a current capacity of 49,225.
More than 50 major NCAA universities have FieldTurf in their stadiums.besides the Big Ten schools mentioned above, others with FieldTurf include Nebraska, West Virginia, Washington, Oregon, Boston College, Rutgers, Kansas State, Louisville and Missouri. Twenty-one of the NFL's 32 teams use FieldTurf at their stadium and/or practice facility. In addition, MLB's Tampa Bay 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 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