Field is rough

[Urbandale2013]

I just don’t get the complaints. Rewatched the game last night and didn’t find the times they complained about slipping egregious or anything.

I noticed just as many issues in the NFL games yesterday. I really think this is just people complaining to complain.

 

[SolterraCyclone]

Iowa State's turf/Hort teams essentially grew/developed their own turf back in 2022. At the time it was thought to be best of the best, but I think the last two years has proven it hasn't held up to expectations. In hindsight, it was a pretty big gamble to take and got to think the turf team will have some decisions to make in the offseason.

Iowa State one of first to grow its own turfgrass football field - Athletic Turf

ISU began harvesting and installing homegrown turfgrass in May 2022, one of the first universities to grow its own sod for its football field within a year.

athleticturf.net

Homegrown effort: Iowa State units team up to grow new turf for Jack Trice Stadium

The first Iowa State University home football game of the 2022 season will not only be a test of Iowa State’s football team, but also of the new, homegrown turfgrass installed earlier this spring.

www.cals.iastate.edu

This seems correlated. The last two years it seems substantially worse than I can remember.

 

[SolterraCyclone]

We just need to go xeriscape. Mostly gravel, and a few well placed cacti and ornamental grasses.

Yep! Save the planet!

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

It would be interesting to hear from a soils engineer. Is something wrong with the shear strength (or other property) of the soil/base that the turf is growing in?

I'm wagering that they used too much sand. With that being said people are being overdramatic regarding the field conditions.

 

[Cyhig]

I just don’t get the complaints. Rewatched the game last night and didn’t find the times they complained about slipping egregious or anything.

I noticed just as many issues in the NFL games yesterday. I really think this is just people complaining to complain.

 

[Tre4ISU]

I don't think this is a grass issue at all. I think there's some sort of sub surface issue that isn't allowing good enough root and/or spike penetration and we see that top layer just wholly give way. It's been the same issue late in the year for years. Surely humidity or rain doesn't help but it just looks like the surface layer isn't attached. to what's below it and it peels.

 

[Cyched]

I really think this is just people complaining to complain.

Welcome to CF and Cyclone fandom!

 

[MyNameEhJeff]

I don't think this is a grass issue at all. I think there's some sort of sub surface issue that isn't allowing good enough root and/or spike penetration and we see that top layer just wholly give way. It's been the same issue late in the year for years. Surely humidity or rain doesn't help but it just looks like the surface layer isn't attached. to what's below it and it peels.

They recently made a change to the field so it's not a 100% grass field, there's a bottom layer of turf under the grass making our field a hybrid field, which could be causing issues. i think the real issue is playing at night. we're to the point in the year where the grass starts to get dewy at night and i think that's mostly why everyone's been slipping.

 

[Tre4ISU]

They recently made a change to the field so it's not a 100% grass field, there's a bottom layer of turf under the grass making our field a hybrid field, which could be causing issues. i think the real issue is playing at night. we're to the point in the year where the grass starts to get dewy at night and i think that's mostly why everyone's been slipping.

This could be true, I'm far from an expert but it doesn't seem to me that moisture is the entire problem. I mean, moisture isn't why spikes aren't sticking. Sure, you get less friction with the moisture but they're pulling out chunks. Also, Washington has had a lot of trouble with their artificial field as well so it would make sense that there could be an issue with the turf underneath where the spikes aren't sticking.

I'd have to do some research but it just doesn't seem like this is an issue everywhere. Plenty of NFL teams have real grass as well and I just don't feel like it's as consistent of an issue.

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

People that want to get rid of grass are along the same lines as those who don't want to play in the snow or rain. Stop trying to water down one of the last pure tough sports. Football is played in all weather on grass. These domes and turf fields are modern infringements on my beloved game.

 

[Clark]

People that want to get rid of grass are along the same lines as those who don't want to play in the snow or rain. Stop trying to water down one of the last pure tough sports. Football is played in all weather on grass. These domes and turf fields are modern infringements on my beloved game.

you had to be one tough SOB to play on astroturf

 

[KennyPratt42]

They recently made a change to the field so it's not a 100% grass field, there's a bottom layer of turf under the grass making our field a hybrid field, which could be causing issues. i think the real issue is playing at night. we're to the point in the year where the grass starts to get dewy at night and i think that's mostly why everyone's been slipping.

This is true, except the synthetic fibers are stitched into the natural grass, it isn't a layer of synthetic turf that is under the grass. If you removed the natural grass it would look a bunch of evenly spaced synthetic fibers in rows. Its a very common practice in England on football pitches and getting more common here on natural grass fields.

Its why you rarely see large pieces (6" or larger) of the grass come loose/up like you used to and its smaller pieces at a time.

The field was not in great shape the last couple of years before the most recent replacement and now I would agree with you its more of a night game/dew issue and playing a game in the rain.

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

you had to be one tough SOB to play on astroturf

It was stupid AF.

 

[ruxCYtable]

I know our coaches have preferred the grass field as an equalizer against other teams that usually have more speed than we do. I feel like it is opponents that are slipping more then we are. UCF and Cinci haven’t played here before and UCF changed out their cleats during the game. Weather may be a factor this year.

I assume Campbell would have the pull to make the change to field turf if he felt it was in the best interest of the program. Since that hasn’t happened it is what it is.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought I had heard just the opposite: That Campbell wanted field turf but JP refused.

 

[KennyPratt42]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought I had heard just the opposite: That Campbell wanted field turf but JP refused.

What I've heard/read is that early on in his tenure Campbell talked about switching to field turf, but the longer he's been here he's come around to natural grass and thinks its an advantage for us.

 

[SolterraCyclone]

I’m not necessarily advocating for a turf field. But those that are downplaying the field are being naive.

It’s mentioned every broadcast by the announcers. The Cincy coach even complained about it.

Now, you can say he’s being whiny and I’d agree, but the fact that there’s this much attention on it means it’s not just fans making much ado about nothing.

 

[Kinch]

JTS’s first astroturf was the most dangerous surface players ever competed on. It was literally a half inch of carpet on cement.

 

[crs8975]

Please don't compare conditions in Ames with Salt Lake City and/or Boulder ever.

Relative humidity at SLC(4200') and Boulder(5400') is <15% almost always. We were fogged out Friday morning in Muskieville. Has SLC or Boulder ever experienced fog?

Tell your golf course super "why can't this place look like Augusta?"

And then be prepared to duck for cover.

While I don't live in Boulder, I do live in CO and can tell you Boulder has experienced fog before.

 

[wgleason]

IMO this has had a role in the conditions the last few years. Another is that around this time was also when Tim VanLoo left. Tim was the head of athletic fields during the run of winning all those awards. Appears its compounding effects of doing something different for the sake of different vs the approach that made the field award winning.

People are lying to themselves if they think this years turf is normal or its just dew at night. There is something off with the field. We all played evening games in high school on grass and never experienced chunks of the field flying because of dew. Every game the field has had slipping issues this year.

JTS should always be grass IMO. But the athletic department needs to be honest with itself the field is in bad shape and changes need to be made.

When seeing large chunks of turf come up, I've always thought or wondered if they had to much sand in the root zone. The article above said the top 4 inches is all specially sized sand. Makes me think it's great to grow turf quickly but not the best to anchor the roots. What do you think FarminCy

 

[ruxCYtable]

JTS’s first astroturf was the most dangerous surface players ever competed on. It was literally a half inch of carpet on cement.

Your point stands, but I would think technology has evolved in 50 years.