Eastern Michigan Athletics
Photo by: Eastern Michigan University Athletics
EMU Installing Gray FieldTurf Surface at Rynearson Stadium
6/19/2014 1:05:00 PM | Football
New design on tap for 2014 football season
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University Department of Athletics formally announced Thursday, June 19, renderings and plans for and of the new FieldTurf Revolution surface that will be installed at Rynearson Stadium. The state-of-the-art surface will officially debut on Aug. 30 when the Eagles' football squad opens the 2014 season against Morgan State University.
Construction on the project will begin in July, as the school will implement a new color scheme with the surface as well. Utilizing the colors gray, green and white, the Block E logo will be at the 50-yard line while the logo for the MAC will adorn the field as well. The playing surface will be gray with white hashmarks and numbers, while the end zones will be green with the word "EASTERN" on the northside and "EAGLES" on the southside in white.
In total, 48,340-square feet gray FieldTurf will be laid along with 40,168-square feet of green.
The nation's leader in artificial turf surface, FieldTurf will be leading the project utilizing their state-of-the-art FieldTurf Revolution surface, which is currently used by the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks in the NFL and Ohio State University and the University of Notre Dame in the NCAA.
"We are grateful for the opportunity to be able to invest in our football program and the new gray Field Turf this summer," added EMU Vice President and Director of Athletics Heather Lyke. "With the gray field being installed, we will be the only ones in the country with such a design. Most importantly, it helps us build an identity that matches the toughness of our team and connection with our community. This facility enhancement is an important brick in the foundation of Coach Creighton's vision."
"Installing new top of the line FieldTurf in our stadium is one of many ways that our administration has demonstrated a real commitment to Eastern Michigan Football," Head Football Coach Chris Creighton added. "The fact that they have embraced the idea of the field being concrete gray shows their courage and conviction in who we are and what we are all about. We cannot wait to represent Eastern Michigan University on our new turf this fall and for the years to come."
"FieldTurf is proud to continue our long-standing relationship with Eastern Michigan and be joining them in creating turf history," said FieldTurf President Eric Daliere. "We pride ourselves on delivering innovative and high quality synthetic playing surfaces and are looking forward to see the Eagles start a new era."
Eastern Michigan joins other football schools such as Boise State, Eastern Washington, Central Arkansas, New Haven and Lindenwood-Belleville who have departed from the traditional green turf. Boise State began the innovation in 1986. "The Blue," as it is known by fans, has been the only non-green playing surface in the Football Bowl Subdivision until EMU's installation of the "EMU Gray" surface this fall. In NCAA FCS football, Eastern Washington employs an all-red playing surface, while Central Arkansas sports a purple and gray alternating tone. In Division II New Haven installed a blue field, while NAIA representative Lindenwood-Belleville alternates red and gray colors on their gridiron.
Rynearson Stadium has featured artificial turf since 1991 with the most recent surface installed in 2005.
Season tickets are now on sale for the five-game home slate, which includes four contests against MAC foes. Single-game tickets will be available beginning July 1. Tickets can be purchased at EMUTix.com or by calling 734.487.2282.
Turf Replacement Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the Eastern Michigan University need new turf at Rynearson Stadium?
The current field was installed prior to the 2005 season so it would be entering its ninth year of use. The industry standard is an eight-year warranty on the turf materials, so to ensure the safety of our student-athletes the decision was made to replace it. EMU has featured artificial turf in Rynearson Stadium since 1991.
How is the University paying for the new turf?
The cost of the project will be paid for by the Department of Athletics by using funding from game guarantees.
When is the project starting and when should it be completed?
The construction project will be a coordinated effort between EMU's Physical Plant, Osborn Engineering and Field Turf. It is expected to begin in July and take a little more than a month, depending on weather conditions. It will be ready during August for the EMU football team to practice on it prior to the Aug. 30 season opener against Morgan State.
Is choosing a gray field just a novelty to gain notoriety?
No - Since taking over reigns of EMU Football in December 2013, Creighton has rallied the program to "close the gap" between its current status and the pursuit of its true potential. He has studied the school, its surroundings, recruiting base and the current student-athletes. The one common thread throughout has been an uncommon 'toughness' that permeates the program. The concept of the "EMU Gray" field was born during one of the squad's notoriously intense winter workouts in 2014. Ron McKeefery, Director of Sports Performance, challenged the team to an outdoor practice on the snow covered Rynearson Stadium field rather than the warm confines of their indoor practice facility. True to their E Tough demeanor, the team accepted the challenge. Throughout each drill of the bitter cold practice Creighton delivered the message that EMU Football has the will to compete against "anyone, anytime and anywhere… even on a parking lot of broken glass." Inspired by his team's toughness and commitment that day, Creighton's idea of an "EMU Gray" field was born and soon shared with administrators. The new look within Rynearson Stadium, and moniker, "The Factory," will serve as visual and name recognition for the program's ideals. They are a constant reminder to the student-athletes that being E Tough means coming ready to roll up their sleeves and build themselves into scholars, leaders and champions each day.
Gray is not one of Eastern Michigan's school colors - so why are you using it?
Correct - gray is not an official school color, however, most teams do not play on a field that is their school color. The football team has incorporated gray in their uniforms as an accent for the past two seasons while the men's cross country/track teams have used a non-EMU color (yellow) as part of their uniforms with great success since the late 1960s. The colors green and white are not going away as the team will still feature these colors on the field and in its uniforms. The new look within Rynearson Stadium, and moniker, "The Factory," will serve as visual and name recognition of the program's ideals.
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