Fieldturf vs sod at Jack Trice

[goldmember]

Grass is the only way to go, and Pollard said the maintenance costs between grass and field turf are surprisingly close. As mentioned earlier, we have a great turf management program, and installing field turf would be a bag over the head punch in the face.

[ketelmeister]

Originally Posted by wartknight

Played and coach O-Line. ALways sure footing. You can be playing in a driving rainstorm and have the same footing as a 70 degree dry fall afternoon. I had VERY FEW burns, if any that I can remember and I haven't heard a single player on my team complain in the 4 years now that I have been coaching with probably75-80% of our games being played on FT or something similar. The only negative is the rubber chunks which IMO is minor.
Just as good of conditions at the beginning of the year as there is at the end.

Actually, the only negative I heard about FT is it gets very hot on hot days. Rubber absorbes the heat. Otherwise, most players I've talked to seem to prefer it, fieldturf. If there are other players on this site, I'd like to hear from you.

[wartknight]

I forgot about the heat aspect. All the games anymore we have on it are at night. I don't know that I ever noticed it being hotter on the FT than sod though. Being a fattie, hot was any gametime temp over 70.

[Steve]

Originally Posted by D UP Clones

You must have been a kicker. JOKE

I have played on both and I would never choose field turf over grass and no one I played with preferred it after they played on it. Some thought it was great until they slid across it once.

I've also heard players complain about the aches and pains - especially in the knees - that accompanies playing and practicing on FT. As an example, Torii Hunter was adamant about signing with a team that played on grass when he went the free agent route last year. Most veteran players in both baseball and football have a similar preference.

While FT may have an advantage in rainy or sloppy conditions, it gives all of that back and then some when the temperature gets above the mid-eighties.

[usedcarguy]

Artificial turf of any kind sanitizes the game too much. As a fan, I really enjoy the philosophical concepts of building a team to compete in a variety of weather conditions. I like how strong winds neutralize a passing team, and how a muddy or frozen field slows the speedsters down. And since the teams we play seem to have more team speed than we do, turf in inclement weather would put us at a competitive disadvantage.

Why would we do that to ourselves?


Besides, mud on the uniform is a badge of honor!

[alarson83]

Originally Posted by sodakjoe

There's nothing like marching on well-kept grass.

except marching on some of the newer artificial stuff. god knows ive had the chance to compare

[CycloneBax]

I thought there were some respiratory issues that were being tied to FT? Something about inhaling the rubber dust.

[theshadow]

The big issue was spreading of MRSA via the "burns" caused by the artificial surface.

[Cyclone711]

Screw turf or sod, just make the field one big trampoline. You know it would be awesome...

[illinoiscyclone]

sure the chunks dont bother you if you are on the ol, because if you are decent you never get them in your face. i could put up with them anywhere else, but once they got on my face i started to get sick of them. the little green "grass" blades are annoying too. i played on field turf like 2 years ago and still have it in my socks.

[isucyfan]

Originally Posted by Cyclone711

Screw turf or sod, just make the field one big trampoline. You know it would be awesome...

Somebody's upset that SlamBall is no longer on TV.

[Flag Guy]

I have absolutely no sports experience to compare it against (I was a swimmer... no turf there) but I'm a grass man. Traditional... I'm sure it burns less, and makes things interesting in the weather.

I've walked through the practice facility, and all of those clippings get rather annoying too (and I was literally just walking from one side to the other... not playing on it or anything)

[LindenCy]

Definitely grass. As people have raised on this board before, our agricultural programs have the skills to take care of it.

[CyForPresident]

It doesn't matter. As long as ISU has a football team, the field will always be natural grass. Its too big of a resource for the Horticulture department and the turf grass program. In reality the cost of $250,000 would have be incurred 3 years ago normally, but since we are so good, it will be incurred now. It just happens at a bad time where in 1-3 years it will have to be replaced again. It really isn't costing us any more money if you look at it from the stand point of a 5 year life expectancy.

As an Ag. major, I'll puke if ISU ever gets rid of natural grass.

[Phaedrus]

Originally Posted by sodakjoe

There's nothing like marching on well-kept grass.

Now, that there is the real issue. My wife goes to watch the band, and she's the one who sleeps with me, so I say grass.

Actually, I love playing football in mud. And I love it when the grass starts thinning out at the end of the year, and you have bare/thin spots. I love the inconsistency of natural grass.

Football is not, and should never be a "digital, homogenous" game. It should be, and should always be a refuge for the analog.

Go Grass!!! Beat Turf!!!