Three New FieldTurf Surfaces at The University of Illinois
The University of Illinois and FieldTurf extended their long partnership with the completion of three field projects in summer 2022 — two of them at a pair of brand-new baseball and softball training facilities and the other at the University’s iconic Memorial Stadium.
“FieldTurf has been a trusted partner for University of Illinois Athletics for many years,” said Brett Stillwell, Illinois Senior Associate Director of Athletics for Capital Projects & Facilities. “Their products and installations have provided us with superior playing surfaces for our student-athletes. FieldTurf recently completed a whirlwind effort on our athletic campus, installing new turf in Memorial Stadium for our football team and completing installations of turf surfaces in our new baseball and softball training facilities — all in a three-week period. The fields look amazing, and we could not be more pleased with the quality and professionalism provided by FieldTurf.”
The $8.5 million Susan and Clint Atkins Baseball Training Center and the $6 million Rex and Alice A. Martin Softball Training Center are equipped with FieldTurf’s indoor infield systems and will allow the Fighting Illini baseball and softball teams to get an early jump on training even when inclement weather and snow-covered grass fields prohibit outdoor practices.
The baseball building is one of many major Illinois Athletics donations from the Atkins family, which contributed $3 million to the project. The Martin family has made multiple contributions as well and donated $3 million to the softball project.
Meanwhile, FieldTurf’s Vertex Prime system was installed at 99-year-old Memorial Stadium — where FieldTurf surfaces have been in place since 2007. The Vertex Prime system is comprised of specially designed slit-film fibers and high-performance ridged monofilament fibers. The fibrillation process of the slit-film component allows for proper infill encapsulation, and the monofilament fibers facilitate grass-like ball roll. Both fibers are tufted together in the same stitch to create a superior aesthetic appearance.
In addition to featuring the Fighting Illini’s bold orange and blue colors in the end zones and at midfield, the sidelines also proclaim the team’s “FAMILLY” motto in attractive lettering.
LEADING CHOICE IN THE BIG 10
FieldTurf is a leading choice amongst football programs in the Big 10 Conference, with more than half of the programs playing on FieldTurf systems – Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Rutgers and Wisconsin
DOMINATING COLLEGE FOOTBALL
The University of Illinois joins an impressive group of programs to trust FieldTurf in 2022 to replace or install a new artificial turf field. Arizona, Kansas State, Nebraska, Utah State and Wisconsin to name a few, have all selected FieldTurf this year for their sports infrastructure construction project.
