Possibility of Artificial Turf at BDS?

CrimsonNagus said:

I have no doubt that temps can be that high. When the outside temperature is close to 100, the field can be 170-180. It’s pretty easy to take these readings with laser thermometers. You can walk on these fields and feel the heat through your shoes. You can see the shimmer of heat rising from the field. It’s like walking on coals. Natural grass doesn’t have these problems.

Click to expand...

tidehawk said:

With the issues Bama constantly seems to have with the turf in BDS, I wonder what the possibility of putting in artificial turf would be? I was on that field in 2015 when I officiated at the Super 7, and let me tell you it was not pretty. The corners of the end zones were basically painted dirt, and the middle of the field was really chewed up. I believe a big problem is with the upper decks all the way around, the amount of sunlight the grass gets is very limited. Artificial turf has come light years from when it used to be down at BDS, and I for one would not mind it a bit. What are your thoughts?

Click to expand...

gtgilbert said:

I attended a lacrosse coaching clinic on turf last september, and the turf got so hot that if you laid your stick down for more than a couple of minutes that you'd have to spray water on the stick to cool it off before you picked it up. Our feet were burning up and everyone ran out of fluids. The air temp was not even really all that hot, but the turf was just baking us.

Click to expand...

bamacon said:

Dude, we had nearly 15 days of rain almost non stop. It wasn’t just a little rain either. I don’t care how good draining is that’s a moisture problem that’ll impact any natural field. It stopped racing literally hours before each game after have rained and rained and rained. I hope we always have a grass field. Saban is also old school and a purist so I’m doubting he’d like that fake stuff.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Click to expand...

tidehawk said:

I'm perfectly calm. The issue is the condition of the turf. It gets ripped to shreds, much more it seems than other stadiums. I am not crazy about artificial turf, but the grass surface needs to be tended to much more than now. Maybe sunlamps when the sun starts getting glower in the fall, or some seed blend with grasses that tolerate shade. Since the barners can't play football worth a crap, hire them since they are an ag school.

Click to expand...

wishbonedays said:

I played on astroturf in the 80's...we called it fuzzy cement, and that was not the worst adjective I ever heard it called. While I never dressed for a game at BDS or Legion Field, I practiced on the same kind of turf every day, unless we moved to the grass field for practices, which, back we didn't do a whole lot. In 2011 I played in a charity game (full pads/contact) on a field with artificial turf similar to what Ole Miss uses. I hated it. You either cut and lost your footing or you cut and your cleats held on too firmly, which is a recipe for disaster for knees. I would never, ever, ever, ever be in favor of changing from the natural turf at BDS.

Click to expand...