Photos by Lloyd Engen-Preparation work begins at the ASC football field for the new artificial turf.

ALAMOSA - With a more than $11 million renovation to Adams State College’s primary indoor athletic facility, Plachy Hall, well under way and on schedule, a major renovation to Rex Stadium, ASC’s showcase outdoor facility, will also have a new look in time for the upcoming football season as the installation of synthetic turf began last week.
The project, which was approved for $525,000 at a June 13 special meeting of the ASC Board of Trustees, is scheduled to be completed by Aug. 31 according to Erik van de Boogaard, ASC’s Associate Vice President for Facilities, Planning, Design and Construction, and Dale Collett, the project manager for Professional Turf Solutions, the installation company.
That will give the Grizzly football team two full weeks to practice on the new turf before the team’s home opener on Sept. 13 against Chadron State.
Van de Boogaard and Collett were keen to point out that ASC will have a field with “all the bells and whistles,” including colored end zones, directional arrows, a midfield logo, and even an alternating pattern of color tints to give the “mowed grass” look.
Van de Boogaard also noted that hash marks for both college and high school regulations will be in place as will adjustable goal posts, which will allow for the surface to be used by a broader community, including San Luis Valley high schools.
All of the markings are sewn directly into the surface, which eliminates the need for field painting and preparation, something that has been a hit to ASC’s financial and human resources in the past.
ASC will also save significantly on the maintenance side of the puzzle, as the surface will no longer need significant watering nor mowing, or the use of pesticides.
The turf, which Collett’s company has coined as “Pro-Design,” is environment friendly and will use an incredible 300,000 pounds of recycled rubber, the primary material of the infill, while saving approximately 2 million gallons of watering per year.
It will have a lifetime of 10-15 years and the installation includes 8-year installation and manufacturer warranties.
Collett was careful to point out that the surface is not maintenance free, but does require approximately 95 percent less work than a traditional natural turf surface. He said that the maintenance includes keeping it clean and adjusting the infill level.
PTS will also provide the needed maintenance equipment, manuals and in-person training sessions for van de Boogaard’s staff.
Although the cost and maintenance factors are significant, Collett pointed out that the single biggest benefit is availability of use.
“You can play on it any time of day and in any weather condition,” he said.
“The footing is constant and the field can be used all day long. When you factor this in, there is simply no comparison on cost.”
Another significant benefit that a cost cannot be placed on is the safety factor, which has shown that synthetic turf produces far fewer injuries as the surface is consistent and softer than a natural grass surface.
“We’re real excited about this installation. It will be a show piece field for Colorado and will be widely seen,” Collett said about his company and the synthetic turf industry as whole, which lives on reputation.