Campbell and the field

[2speedy1]

Listening to some of Campbell's comments on the condition of the field over the season, it appears he is not happy with the playing surface on the natural grass.
While I love the natural grass, and I know we have the best in the country, plus I know we have had absolutely horrible conditions this year, some of his comments have made me wonder what his feelings are.
Does anyone think he has started to put pressure on the department to replace the field with Turf? Does he really not like the natural grass or is it just he is discouraged with the conditions due to the weather? Does anyone have any actual knowledge of his preference? What does everyone think, are things starting to lean towards moving back to turf? I hope not, but the field has had a rough year.

 

[UNIGuy4Cy]

I picked that up too. I think he commented about it a dozen times in the press conference. Time for a change, never thought I would say it but this is Iowa in November/December. The field conditions were unacceptable.

 

[SECyclone]

Don’t think it happens. More rain this year than we have had in a long long time. They will spend the money to get it back to being the best in the nation next year

 

[tman24]

We have to tear it up anyway to replant, maybe give hima turf field as a raise?

 

[scottwv]

Get Coach whatever type of field he wants...

 

[coyoteclone]

How many Power 5 schools still have natural grass fields?

 

[tman24]

How many Power 5 schools still have natural grass fields?

And how many of them are northern states?

 

[Acylum]

We just let it get one year too old. It won’t happen again. When was the last time anybody complained about field conditions at Trice?

 

[norcalcy]

If Coach wants it, we need to do it. Don’t have the money to keep up a Green Bay Packers grass field. If we’re playing meaningful November games, I don’t want a crap field. I am as proud of our field as anyone, but we need to do what makes sense to win games.

 

[cyclone101]

And how many more times in the next 25 years are we going to play a game in Ames this late in the year? Zero.

 

[dualthreat]

I think artificial turf is cheaper too

 

[tman24]

We just let it get one year too old. It won’t happen again. When was the last time anybody complained about field conditions at Trice?

Ha probably 8 years ago when we let it go to long before replant.

 

[scottwv]

And how many more times in the next 25 years are we going to play a game in Ames this late in the year? Zero.

But it was bad during the K-State game, and the Baylor coach was railing on it during warm ups to the ISU coaches.

 

[cyclone101]

But it was bad during the K-State game, and the Baylor coach was railing on it during warm ups to the ISU coaches.

**** the Baylor coach.

 

[hoosman]

Keep the grass. It’s our trademark.

 

[FerShizzle]

Natural grass is nice, but we aren’t a southern school and ours goes dormant towards the end of October, at which point you are rolling the dice for how it will play out in November.

Plus, field turf would get less slick in rain. And have less chance for injury.

It’s 2018 and probably time.

 

[BoxsterCy]

Don’t think it happens. More rain this year than we have had in a long long time. They will spend the money to get it back to being the best in the nation next year

Might be time for a complete rehab but with real turf still. From what we read in the other previous tread on this topic the field is well overdue for that. Credit to the staff for extending it's life but seems time for some big work.

 

[FerShizzle]

Keep the grass. It’s our trademark.

Losing games we shouldn’t is our trademark and it almost bit us again today because of the field conditions.

 

[2speedy1]

I have to say, Ive always loved the natural grass field, since we went back to it. And it is beautiful at the beginning of the season, but as it gets late and into November it gets pretty hard to maintain that surface, and as we have seen with bad weather it goes bad pretty fast. I wonder if upgrading the surface, with the modern heating and drainage that northern fields in the NFL have would be necessary and/or feasible. As far as I know the only college stadium that has a heated field is Minnesota, because the Vikings paid for it when they played there while their new stadium was being built.
At that point I just don't know what its worth. Like I said, I love the natural field and I think its better for injuries, but it sounds like CMC is not particularly fond of it, at least not this year.

 

[burn587]

While I agree that it was unacceptable, I just don’t see us going to field turf when you have an award winning field turf management program at your school.