Virginia Installing FieldTurf On Three Practice Fields

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May 18, 2006

CHARLOTTESVILLE – The University of Virginia has selected FieldTurf for installation on two football practice fields and on a lacrosse practice field. The announcement was made on Thursday (May 18) by UVa Executive Associate Director of Athletics Jon Oliver and FieldTurf CEO John Gilman.

The FieldTurf installation on the three outdoor fields has already begun and will be completed well in advance of fall practice for football and lacrosse. Head Coach Al Groh’s Cavaliers open the 2006 football season on September 2 against Pittsburgh. Dom Starsia’s Virginia men’s lacrosse team will utilize the FieldTurf for its fall practice period.

“The University of Virginia athletics department established a specific goal in 2002 to build and maintain the finest facilities in the country for the purpose of attracting and developing the best student-athletes in the country,” Oliver said. “The installation of FieldTurf on our football practice fields as well as our lacrosse practice field puts us one step closer to achieving this goal. I have a great deal of familiarity with the surface (FieldTurf) having installed it at Washington State in 1999 and I’m excited that our student-athletes at Virginia will now have the opportunity to practice on this revolutionary surface.”

FieldTurf is currently in use in more than 25 NCAA Division 1-A football stadiums including Boston College, Nebraska, Michigan, Wisconsin, Oregon, Washington, Louisville, Missouri and Rutgers.

“We’re obviously very pleased that the folks at Virginia have chosen FieldTurf for their football and lacrosse practice fields,” said Gilman. “We will give Coach Groh, Coach Starsia and their teams a state-of-the-art FieldTurf surface for their use. Another benefit in the Cavaliers’ game preparations will be that this field will be very similar to ones that UVa will play road games on from time to time. We appreciate the confidence that Mr. Oliver, Coach Groh and Coach Starsia have shown in FieldTurf, and we are determined to deliver a product that shows why FieldTurf is the undisputed world leader in artificial turf.”

In addition to its growing popularity in the college ranks, FieldTurf has already established itself as the turf of choice in the National Football League. Twenty-two of the NFL’s 32 teams currently use FieldTurf at their stadiums and/or their practice facilities. Also, three Major League Baseball teams use FieldTurf at their stadiums.

FieldTurf is the result of years of research – evident in the patented FieldTurf infill mix of silica sand and cryogenic rubber and patented layering process that deliver a system that emulates natural grass. Additional benefits are found in improved player safety, reduced maintenance costs and flexibility for conversion – allowing stadium managers to quickly change the field from one sport to another or to easily host a variety of sporting events, concerts and other special events directly on top of the FieldTurf surface.

Over the past few years, the quality and performance of FieldTurf’s patented system has resulted in over 1800 installations in more than 40 countries. For more information on FieldTurf, visit www.fieldturf.com or call (800) 724-2969.