University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Southern Miss Gains Momentum At The Rock
1/9/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
Southern Miss Gains Momentum At The Rock
M & T Bank Stadium |
Hattiesburg, Miss.
- The Southern Miss Department of Athletics has announced that Sportexe?, manufacturer of leading-edge indoor and outdoor sports surfaces, has been selected to install a new artificial surface in M. M. Roberts Stadium.
"We have done our homework on this one and believe that Sportexe's
? Momentum Turf? system is exceptional in regards to durability, performance and safety," Southern Miss Director of Athletics Richard Giannini said. "This will provide Southern Miss with a quality, consistent playing year-round surface that can be used for a variety of activities".Momentum is Sportexe's? premier sand and rubber infill surface, designed to maximize player speed and performance. The turf?s special mix of sand and granular rubber provides stability, traction and speed, simulating a perfect natural grass surface. This dual infill mix works in unison with high quality polyethylene fibers and a unique multi-layered backing, to provide an extremely fast, yet safe playing field. Momentum was developed by Sportexe?
technicians specifically for the intense, high-caliber play seen at college and professional levels. It is the system recently installed at the stadiums of the NFL's Baltimore Ravens and the University of California at Berkeley.
"The multiple benefits the new surface in the stadium will offer our football program include greater flexibility with our practice schedule and a faster surface that will allow us to better utilize our team speed," Southern Miss Head Football Coach Jeff Bower said. "Poor field conditions due to excessive rain in recent years have forced us to relocate practices indoors, where we can't simulate true game situations as we can outdoors. Excessive wear on our practice fields has also caused problems in the past. Having the ability to practice in the stadium will provide the practice fields greater recovery time."
Sportexe
? will begin construction by the end of January and intends to be complete by mid-March, in time for spring football drills. Possible delays could occur in the construction schedule due to excessive rain.
"We?re flattered that Southern Miss, a school widely respected for its commitment to excellence in research, chose Momentum Turf
? as the new playing surface for Roberts Stadium," Sportexe? President Mark Nicholls said. "We know that process of selecting the right surface and the right company was one that Southern Miss did not take lightly, and we appreciate the confidence they?ve shown in choosing Sportexe? and Momentum Turf?.
"We look forward to the coming season; we congratulate Coach Bower on his third Conference USA Coach of the Year award, and wish the entire Golden Eagles team the best of success in 2004." The stadium surfacing project is being funded by a donation provided to the Southern Miss Athletic Foundation. The cost of the field surface is $300,000. The cost of base materials and labor are being donated through a private source. Details of the gift will be announced at a later date. While the field will still require maintenance, far less resources will be required than the current natural turf surface. All playing lines, marks and logos will be inlaid. The final look of the field has not been determined, but it will likely include the eagle icon at midfield with "Southern Miss" in the end zones. Markings, such as high school hash marks or specialty logos, can be painted on the turf temporarily then removed. About Sportexe Utilizing their own highly skilled manufacturing and installation crews, Sportexe
Each one of their removable and permanent artificial turf products is designed and manufactured to ensure maximum safety and playability, including their premier infill product, recently deemed the safest (by the Human Performance Lab, University of Calgary) of the industry?s 20 leading surfaces. One of several synthetic surfaces manufactured by Sportexe
Sportexe
