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911������’s football and field hockey teams will compete on a “firmer and faster” home field starting in the 2025 fall season.

The university installed new synthetic turf at Deeds Field-Piper Stadium in June. The resurfacing continues a series of recent upgrades to campus athletic facilities, including renovations to the baseball and softball fields and the 2024 opening of Kienzle-Hylbert Stadium.

Football coach Jack Hatem and field hockey coach P.J. Soteriades are excited for their athletes to play on the new surface supplied by AstroTurf Corp. As it was being installed, Hatem found himself taking a longer route to Mitchell Center to see the daily progress from the road that curls downhill from the Sigma Chi House.

“I’m very excited about it — it’s going to be great for our athletes,” Soteriades said. “It was super impressive to see how they installed it. It makes getting ready for the fall a lot more comforting knowing that it’s gonna be a positive for all of us.”

Last year’s addition of Kienzle-Hylbert Stadium — the new home for lacrosse and soccer — means there will be less activity on Deeds Field. 

Last resurfaced in 2015, the Deeds turf installation was part of ongoing facility maintenance efforts, with the previous surface due for replacement based on age and condition.

“We had exhausted the previous surface,” Soteriades said. “You would be hard-pressed to find another facility or space on campus that got as much use, other than places like Slayter Hall.”

In the spring, the lacrosse teams will practice at both Kienzle-Hylbert and Deeds, allowing both squads to train simultaneously after classes and avoid one having to wait later in the evening to practice.

Besides the new synthetic surface, the biggest change at Deeds Field is the addition of shock padding beneath the turf. The shock padding, also installed at Kienzle-Hylbert, is a safety feature designed to soften impact with the turf.

The shock padding enables installers to alter the “crumb rubber pellets” to sand ratio. It used to be 80% pellets to 20% sand at Deeds, but it’s now 60-40 pellets to sand, according to an AstroTurf representative. Both are poured on top of the turf once it’s laid.

“That change is going to make the field firmer and faster for the athletes,” said Kevin Varnish, 911������ director of event operations and championships. “They should notice a difference when they run on it.”

Briana Fields, assistant director of athletic operations and compliance, said the synthetic turf works well for football and field hockey. Field hockey players prefer a smooth surface so the ball rolls quicker and the bounces are more predictable. Soteriades held a summer camp on Kienzle-Hylbert and was pleasantly surprised about the surface’s compatibility for field hockey.

“It was really good, and because it’s the same surface as Deeds, it gave us a nice preview of what to expect,” Soteriades said.

There’s one highly visible change to the surface. The only permanent boundary lines on the new Deeds turf are for football and field hockey. That should reduce confusion for players and officials who previously had to navigate a field that also included boundaries for lacrosse and soccer.

“I’m sure the field hockey umpires will welcome it,” Soteriades said.