Huskie Stadium turf
Chronicle Media — May 27, 2015
Work on replacing the turf at Northern Illinois University’s Huskie Stadium is officially underway
Work on replacing the turf at Northern Illinois University’s Huskie Stadium is officially underway as crews began removing the old FieldTurf surface last week.
With the installation of the turf, NIU will also use the opportunity to update the design, which has been identical since FieldTurf was originally installed on Brigham Field in 2001. Interest in the look of the new Huskie Stadium turf is high and several designs were created by NIU graphic design students working in the Athletics’ Marketing Office.
Huskie fans will have to wait a little longer to find out exactly what that design will be though. For the next several days, NIU will tease fans to generate buzz during “Field Reveal 2015.” Six (6) different field designs have been posted on NIU Athletics’ official website at NIUHuskies.com and through the Huskies’ official social media platforms, @NIUAthletics (Twitter), NIU Huskies (Facebook) and niuhuskies (Instagram). Click here to see them all, pick out your favorites and join the conversation.
Each weekday, beginning today and not including Monday, May 25 (Memorial Day), one design will be eliminated until the presentation of the final field design on Thursday, May 28.
The newest version of FieldTurf, the world leader in artificial turf, will replace the surface that played host to hundreds of NIU practices and games, as well as events like the IHSA State Football Championships, summer camps and more, since its installation in April 2009.
The project, including installation of new turf which will cover the entire playing field and end zones, will be completed during the first week in June in order to accommodate numerous NIU sports camps, many of which begin June 6. The NIU Board of Trustees approved the project at its March 2015 meeting.
NIU Associate Vice-President and Director of Athletics Sean T. Frazier said benefits of a new surface at Huskie Stadium are far-reaching.
“The new FieldTurf surface is an improvement necessary for our football program, which uses the surface nearly every day,” Frazier said. “In addition, fans who attend the games in person, and those who watch on television will see an updated design which is critical to our branding efforts as we continue to promote NIU both regionally and nationally.”
NIU Senior Associate Athletic Director John Cheney said that initiatives like replacing the basketball court at the Convocation Center last summer and installing new turf on Brigham Field keep NIU Athletics moving forward.
“Keeping our facilities up-to-date and especially the playing surfaces themselves is a very important aspect of student-athlete welfare,” Cheney said. “Over the last several years we have resurfaced Victor E. Court, purchased new mats for our wrestling team as well as the basketball floor. While the availability of the Chessick Center has reduced some of the wear and tear on the Huskie Stadium turf, we were still at a point where this became an important step for our football team. We’re excited about the opportunity to update the look just in time for the 50th Anniversary of the stadium.”
NIU will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Huskie Stadium in 2015, which opened in 1965, this season beginning at the 2015 football season opener on Sept. 5.
