Kansas State recently announced that they have selected AstroTurf GameDay Grass 3D60H to replace the current turf at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Construction of the new field will be guided by Mid-America Golf and Landscape of Lee’s Summit, Mo.
“We are excited about the new field,” K-State head coach Bill Snyder said in a release. “Deciding on a synthetic turf product has been a long and painstaking process. Each time we met with the people from AstroTurf, our level of trust and comfort grew. They did everything we asked them to do, and ultimately they provided the best product for our needs.”
The new system provides several benefits for the K-State football program that led to the choice.
“After looking at numerous options, we felt AstroTurf and its GameDay Grass 3D60H system was the best choice for us at K-State,” KSU associate head coach and director of football operations Sean Snyder said. “Some of the top professional and collegiate stadiums and practice facilities in the country utilize this surface and we are excited about becoming the first FBS football program to install GameDay Grass 3D60H in its stadium.
“The fibers and technologies used by AstroTurf will provide our student-athletes with a state-of-the art product that focuses on player performance and safety.”
The field will feature the new Horseshoe fiber. The fiber is an “Omega” shape with two-end columns with a thicker diameter. The design imparts mechanical memory so that the fiber remains upright longer, unlike other fields whose fibers quickly flatten and split or shred at the spine. The Horseshoe fiber continues to spring back to its original configuration, even after years of heavy foot traffic or exposure to ultra-violet radiation.
The field also has a face weight of 60 ounces of fiber per square yard, the highest in the industry. This adds to the durability provided by the fiber shape.
In extensive testing, the Horseshoe fiber performs most like natural grass from ball roll, to slide resistance, to the biomechanical function of cleats penetrating and releasing properly. A study at Michigan State University, funded by NFL Charities, found that AstroTurf GameDay Grass systems looked and performed more like natural grass than any other synthetic product measured, also making it the safest option.
The Horseshoe fiber’s shape also allows it to reflect light and heat away from the surface. That, in combination with AstroFlect heat reduction technology, can lower surface temperatures by as much as 18 percent.
The Horseshoe fiber was introduced in 2010 and is already in use on practice fields at schools such as Stanford and the University of Tennessee; baseball game fields for the Tampa Bay Rays, Wake Forest, Duke, and Kansas; and numerous high school football fields around the country.