Southern Virginia University moved forward with the installation of a high-tech new turf system at its Knight Stadium. Manufactured by AstroTurf®—the leading producer of synthetic turf products in the United States—Southern Virginia’s newly upgraded field offers enhanced stability, improved safety—including compliance with concussion protocols—and an overall better experience for the University’s student-athletes.
For the upgrade of its primary competition field, Southern Virginia opted for one of the most innovative turf systems on the market today: AstroTurf’s 3D3 52 Blend turf system featuring high-performance Trionic fibers. A literal super-fiber, this chemically engineered material combines the player-friendly qualities of polyethylene with the intense durability and resilience of nylon polymers to achieve the ultimate playing surface.
“Southern Virginia was all set to purchase a new field before the pandemic began, but moving forward with the project during such unpredictable times presented some risk,” Tim Jordan, AstroTurf Regional Sales Manager said. “That’s when PNC came in and helped make it happen. The install of the field was amazing and was very fast without any hitches.”
The new field at Southern Virginia University also offers players better shock absorbency thanks to the sub-layer of crimped fibers, known as the RootZone, to stabilize the infill material and reduce torque to the lower parts of the body. As a result of this unique 3D3 Blend feature, players experience grass-like traction with the consistent shock attenuation and quality aesthetics only synthetic fields offer.
To meet the high demands of the school’s athletic program with 26 sports programs, Southern Virginia also ensured the longevity of the field with a 52-ounce face weight. This is a very dense stitching used primarily at stadiums and playing fields that see heavy use. More than half of Southern Virginia’s 500 student-athletes will regularly use the University’s new high-quality, consistent playing surface for practice and competitions.
“This was a needed upgrade for our athletic facilities, and we are very pleased with how the field turned out,” said Deidra Dryden, Athletic Director at Southern Virginia University. “While the pandemic-caused pause to college athletics was unexpected, it did present a unique window of opportunity to get this project done.
To help facilitate the turf installation during a time of financial uncertainty surrounding the shutdown in college sports caused by the pandemic, PNC Vendor Finance provided a customized and innovative finance solution for Southern Virginia University.
Southern Virginia University is an NCAA Division III school and a member of the USA South Athletic Conference for the 2021-2022 school year. Since the launch of the school’s athletic program in 1997, the Knights have earned 40 small college national championships.
“We’re thankful to our partners at the AstroTurf Corporation and PNC for helping us finding the opportunity in the adversity!” said Dryden.
With the new field, student-athletes from the school’s football program, men and women’s soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, and rugby have the opportunity to train on a synthetic turf system designed for competitive athletic programs and intense play.
This article is a repost of an AstroTurf press release. The featured image in this article is from a tweet by JJ Watt. For more sports, news and entertainment, follow the Midwest Sports Network on Twitter @MWSNsports or like the MWSN page on Facebook.
