Maverik Stadium, Legacy Fields to replace playing surface
Merlin Olsen Field at Maverick Stadium will look different for this fall’s football season. Utah State Atheltics announced that the current turf is scheduled to be replaced for the upcoming fall season.
Head coach Blake Anderson said the current field is “packed down pretty good.” He added that “it needs a little bit more cushion.”
Our super fiber is en route for @USUFootball & @USUAthletics 💪 🏟️! Along with Maverik Stadium, we’re replacing the surface at Aggie Legacy Fields which covers over 190K sq.ft! Thank you for your trust @USUAggies. Full Story: https://t.co/tqzcpPeRNT
–#collegefootball #football pic.twitter.com/wUKbqxF4UC— FieldTurf (@FieldTurf) April 12, 2022
The cushion of the current turf has been worn down by years of use. Walking on the field, the wear and tear is noticeable. Sections of turf under stairs to the field are almost an inch higher than the turf that has been played on for years.
“As soon as we get done with the spring game they’re going to start ripping it up,” Anderson told the media last week.
There has been no announcement on if the design of the field will change.
The new turf will be FieldTurf’s Vertex CORE system. It is advertised by the company as the “perfect combination of performance and beauty.” The surface is made of a hybrid of monofilament and slit-film fibers. It also has a three-layer infill.
Statesman Photo The turf at legacy fields, which hosts several club and intramural sports, will also be replaced.
According to FieldTurf, six other football stadiums in the Mountain West Conference have FieldTurf playing surfaces. In Salt Lake City, Rice-Eccles Stadium’s field is also from FieldTurf.
In Logan, LaRee and LeGrand Johnson Field, Utah State’s softball diamond, is also a FieldTurf surface. That turf was installed a few months ago. The durable surface has helped the softball team avoid weather delays that were common in past seasons.
FieldTurf will also replace the surface at Aggie Legacy Fields. The turf is used by club sports, intramural leagues and open recreation.
Utah State Athletics is selling two-foot by three-foot selections of the old turf for $20 until Sunday, April 24.
The final opportunity to see action on the old turf is the Blue and White Spring Game on Saturday, April 23 at 1 p.m.