Fresh look brings a new era for Pioneer athletics
Zach Frank
Issue date: 9/11/08 Section: Sports
With the 2008-2009 school year commencing, Sacred Heart University's Campus Field has been given a facelift and will be the newly, redesigned home of the Pioneers' outdoor athletic teams.
With ten collegiate Division I athletic teams that play outdoors, the new facilities come just in time to kick off the new school year and seasons.
It seems as if the new field was needed in order to support the growing success of the university's athletic program.
The old facility, originally erected in 1993, was comprised of a synthetic artificial grass surface known as FieldTurf, an eight-lane red surfaced track that surrounds the turf field, along with a stadium that could accommodate 2-thousand fans.
In 1997, Sacred Heart University renovated Campus Field, adding four lighting structures and 15-hundred additional seats, bringing the seating capacity now up to 35-hundred. Due to a residential ordinance, the lights could only be a certain height, in order to not disturb the surrounding residents of Fairfield County.
The turf conditions were detrimental to the overall performance of the teams, and also played a large role in increasing injuries amongst athletes.
It was evident that in order to kick off the 2008-2009 athletic seasons the right way, the only solution was to replace the turf.
Shortly after the end of the 2007-2008 school year, construction began on Sacred Heart's Campus Field, as the old turf field was removed and lighting structures were taken down.
Once the surface had been cleared, it was time to begin the transformation by putting in the new turf, laying down the foundation for the new track, and erecting the new lights.
"The turf was wearing down to the point where replacing it became critical," said Don Cook, Sacred Heart Athletic Director. "Many athletes commented during summer training camp how much more forgiving the new surface was on their legs, making day-to-day workouts and related recovery from pre-season aches and pains easier," said Cook.
With ten collegiate Division I athletic teams that play outdoors, the new facilities come just in time to kick off the new school year and seasons.
It seems as if the new field was needed in order to support the growing success of the university's athletic program.
The old facility, originally erected in 1993, was comprised of a synthetic artificial grass surface known as FieldTurf, an eight-lane red surfaced track that surrounds the turf field, along with a stadium that could accommodate 2-thousand fans.
In 1997, Sacred Heart University renovated Campus Field, adding four lighting structures and 15-hundred additional seats, bringing the seating capacity now up to 35-hundred. Due to a residential ordinance, the lights could only be a certain height, in order to not disturb the surrounding residents of Fairfield County.
The turf conditions were detrimental to the overall performance of the teams, and also played a large role in increasing injuries amongst athletes.
It was evident that in order to kick off the 2008-2009 athletic seasons the right way, the only solution was to replace the turf.
Shortly after the end of the 2007-2008 school year, construction began on Sacred Heart's Campus Field, as the old turf field was removed and lighting structures were taken down.
Once the surface had been cleared, it was time to begin the transformation by putting in the new turf, laying down the foundation for the new track, and erecting the new lights.
"The turf was wearing down to the point where replacing it became critical," said Don Cook, Sacred Heart Athletic Director. "Many athletes commented during summer training camp how much more forgiving the new surface was on their legs, making day-to-day workouts and related recovery from pre-season aches and pains easier," said Cook.
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