College Football Uniforms - 2015 Season

[miketd1]

When it comes to turf, if the players (safer?) and administration (cheaper, easier to maintain?) prefer it, then it makes some sense to install it regardless of the sentimental and symbolic value of Kentucky bluegrass. Heck, even ND switched over I think.

[nuordr]

A locale known for its famous Kentucky bluegrass, is switching to a synthetic field.

So you're saying they should switch to the smurf turf look?

There's nothing smurfy about Kentucky Bluegrass.

Actually the type of grass that was used at Commonwealth Stadium was Bermuda. But thankfully they did not go with Blue Turf as that would have sucked!

[conner62]

Kentucky will now have the checkerboard pattern in the endzone:

Breaking News.... Kentucky to add a red alternate uniform so they can look like both of their rivals. BTW the new UK logo looks like University of Houston. Good job UK

[TheOldRoman]

When it comes to turf, if the players (safer?) and administration (cheaper, easier to maintain?) prefer it, then it makes some sense to install it regardless of the sentimental and symbolic value of Kentucky bluegrass. Heck, even ND switched over I think.

It's not safer. In fact, the most recent studies found more leg injuries on turf than grass. Also, I saw a breakdown that it's not even cheaper, as all the schools claim. They have to regularly use chemicals to sanitize the field, rake it to even it out, sweep it to clean off lint and dust. There's a lot of maintenance for such fields.

[JPDesign]

I read an article recently saying theres some evidence that the rubber pellets in the turf can lead to cancer with repeated exposure (i.e. scraping your leg on the turf and getting in contact with the pellets).

[SiLeNt WaVe]

It's not safer. In fact, the most recent studies found more leg injuries on turf than grass. Also, I saw a breakdown that it's not even cheaper, as all the schools claim. They have to regularly use chemicals to sanitize the field, rake it to even it out, sweep it to clean off lint and dust. There's a lot of maintenance for such fields.

I'd like to see your source for grass being safer. Every article I've ever read about turf says it's far superior to grass as far as injuries go.

[pcgd]

I think it certainly depends if its a multi use field vs. a single sport field. If you're talking a game and walk thru only football field I'd bet good money that grass is safer. Soccer I think its pretty well know that grass is better for the athlete. For game play its not even a contest, soccer on grass is miles better than on turf.

If its a stadium at a D3 or HS that uses it for games and practices for football, men's and women's soccer, lacrosse, rugby, commencement, etc, its got to be safer to be on turf that doesn't break down into muck like grass does with that much use. The year after our school switched injuries, especially knee injuries, were down significantly. And the cost savings of not having to maintain grass fields for all those games and practices was a benefit as well. Even if pricing is equal, tis much easier to have fundraising for a onetime expense vs. upkeep.

I think there is a benefit to turf, but they shouldn't be putting it in just to do it.

[nuordr]

According to Mark Stoops (Head Coach at Kentucky), the change has nothing to do with injuries, but more to making the field more manageable because he said the current Bermuda grass has been a nightmare for the grounds crew since he has been at Kentucky. I also believe since Commonwealth Stadium is doing a renovation, that this was a perfect time to rip up the grass and bring in turf. Here is the article I was referencing.

[pianoknight]

According to Mark Stoops (Head Coach at Kentucky), the change has nothing to do with injuries, but more to making the field more manageable because he said the current Bermuda grass has been a nightmare for the grounds crew since he has been at Kentucky. I also believe since Commonwealth Stadium is doing a renovation, that this was a perfect time to rip up the grass and bring in turf. Here is the article I was referencing.

Exactly. Ever fixed a divot while golfing? Now imagine a field full of 300 lb. divots from big, sweaty dudes clashing into each other.

I have no experience in this... umm field (hah!), but I can imagine that turf is much easier to keep leveled, straightened, etc. It can also be more springy than grass which I imagine helps absorb some of the man-divots that get made on grass.

[Botiger]

Kentucky will now have the checkerboard pattern in the endzone:

Breaking News.... Kentucky to add a red alternate uniform so they can look like both of their rivals. BTW the new UK logo looks like University of Houston. Good job UK

Really???

[ICTknight]

I hated playing on grass when I played football. Turf just felt better. Although baseball is awful on turf

[Jamikel]

Kentucky will now have the checkerboard pattern in the endzone:

Breaking News.... Kentucky to add a red alternate uniform so they can look like both of their rivals. BTW the new UK logo looks like University of Houston. Good job UK

Really???

They both ripped their look off from Buffalo.

[4_tattoos]

Field turf is almost becoming a must for high schools. People underestimate how much use a grass field tends to get during a school year. In the fall season alone you've got....

• varsity football
• jv football
• boys varsity soccer
• boys jv soccer
• girls varsity soccer
• girls jv soccer
• varsity field hockey
• jv field hockey
• marching band practice

Keep in mind. Most high schools have limited practice space so some of a school's teams end up practicing on the main game field. In addition to that, depending on the school/jurisdiction there may also be a third freshman team for all these sports.

[razorback447]

Kentucky will now have the checkerboard pattern in the endzone:

Breaking News.... Kentucky to add a red alternate uniform so they can look like both of their rivals. BTW the new UK logo looks like University of Houston. Good job UK

Really???

They both ripped their look off from Buffalo.

I believe you mean the State University of New York at Buffalo.

[Guest]

Field turf is almost becoming a must for high schools. People underestimate how much use a grass field tends to get during a school year. In the fall season alone you've got....

• varsity football
• jv football
• boys varsity soccer
• boys jv soccer
• girls varsity soccer
• girls jv soccer
• varsity field hockey
• jv field hockey
• marching band practice

Keep in mind. Most high schools have limited practice space so some of a school's teams end up practicing on the main game field. In addition to that, depending on the school/jurisdiction there may also be a third freshman team for all these sports.

Not disagreeing with you, just throwing out my experience. Where I went, varsity and JV football practice together with JV being the scout team. Soccer is a spring sport, we don't have field hockey and the band practices in the parking lot except on Thursdays. We're also fortunate enough to have a soccer field that football uses for practice as well as our game field. All of that drastically reduces wear on the two fields and yet you still get spots where the grass gets worn out.

Personally, I hate turf fields. They're ridiculously hot and the pellets are annoying as sin. Not to mention how much harder they are compared to a grass field.

[pianoknight]

Field turf is almost becoming a must for high schools. People underestimate how much use a grass field tends to get during a school year. In the fall season alone you've got....

• varsity football
• jv football
• boys varsity soccer
• boys jv soccer
• girls varsity soccer
• girls jv soccer
• varsity field hockey
• jv field hockey
• marching band practice

Keep in mind. Most high schools have limited practice space so some of a school's teams end up practicing on the main game field. In addition to that, depending on the school/jurisdiction there may also be a third freshman team for all these sports.

My high school district got around this by having teams share a stadium. There were three high schools, and each had a "semi-pro" stadium on site, with basic bleachers, etc. It was perfect for practices and lower-attended sports like JV Field Hockey, etc.

There was had a "pro" stadium built at one of the three schools with full sized bleachers, endzone seating and a track. All the "big" events like varsity football were played there. Schedule wise, you had 3 very easy games a year (A vs B / B vs C / C vs A) and the rest of the time they just scheduled it so if A had a home game against a non-district team, then B and C were playing away or on BYE weeks.

There never was too much issue with getting each team the proper amounts of home and away games. I can think of maybe once in my 4 years that there was a conflict and we played a "home" game against a non-conference team at a neutral site - and that was because of playoffs, not regular season scheduling.

[MJWalker45]

I'm in San Antonio and around 20 teams share 10 stadiums. The private schools use them too, except for the couple whose stadiums are at the school. It makes field turf a necessity here. But if i had the option I'd go with regular grass.

[SiLeNt WaVe]

I read an article recently saying theres some evidence that the rubber pellets in the turf can lead to cancer with repeated exposure (i.e. scraping your leg on the turf and getting in contact with the pellets).

IF that's true, is there really anything out there that doesn't cause some form of cancer these days? It's ground up tires for the most part.

And for those that say turf is "harder" than grass...come on man. Grass and dirt freeze, turf doesn't. I played on it in Minnesota and we prayed for games on turf instead of grass.

[mattp0777]

I played on turf for 2 years and grass for 2 years the turf is so much softer. If the turf is hard that means it isn't being taken care of properly

[ICTknight]

Turf also felt a lot better on my bad knee and ankle. All the little divets in the grass field made playing hurt like hell