BOSTON, Mass., July 14, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Mike Lynch, Boston University's Assistant Vice President and Director of Athletics, and FieldTurf Tarkett CEO Joe Fields have announced the renovation of historic Nickerson Field, as a state-of-the-art FieldTurf surface will be installed in time for the 2008 soccer seasons.
Nickerson Field was originally renovated with FieldTurf in May 2001 and is home to the Terrier men's and women's soccer teams, as well as the women's lacrosse team.
"We are proud to continue our relationship with a company who is recognized as the industry leader for playing surfaces," Lynch said. "We have three varsity teams, each of which participated in their respective NCAA tournaments last year, that will benefit directly and immediately from the enhancements we are making this summer to their playing surface at Nickerson Field."
"Being associated with Boston University has been an absolute pleasure for our organization," said FieldTurf Tarkett CEO Joe Fields. "Their continued selection of FieldTurf is a testament to our dedication to quality and the long-term success of the surfaces we manufacture. We are thrilled to have BU as a repeat customer and look forward to a long-lasting relationship."
"We used our field for a total of 2,600 hours last year, which makes it one of the most used fields in the country," said Drew Marrochello, BU's Deputy Director of Athletics. "The fact that the latest version of FieldTurf is even more durable than the first field we purchased is extremely comforting."
Nickerson Field, once the home to the Boston Braves National League baseball club and Babe Ruth, is over 90 years old. The Boston Red Sox played on the field during the 1915 and 1916 World Series when the field was known as Braves Field. The Boston Braves of the National Football League (NFL), now the Washington Redskins, also played on the field during its inaugural season. In more recent years, it has served as the home of the Boston Breakers of the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) from 2001-03 and the Boston Cannons of Major League Lacrosse (MLL) from 2004-06.
Nickerson Field made history in the soccer community as it became the first soccer venue in North America with new generation artificial turf to receive FIFA 1-Star Recommended status in 2001 from soccer's international governing body. FieldTurf has since received numerous FIFA Recommended ratings for installations around the globe.
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