Boise State replacing AstroTurf at stadium

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

HAWKINS: Turf changes, but not the color

"We unload them, then come back the next day with some more," the exhausted driver said yesterday.

The rubber granules serve as the foundation for the stadium's new blue-colored artificial playing surface. The project, which began June 27 and will be completed next week, has left University of Hawai'i football coach June Jones blue with envy.

"Unbelievable," said Jones, who will try to tour Bronco Stadium during this week's Western Athletic Conference Football Media Preview here.

For two years, Jones has lobbied to change Aloha Stadium's artificial playing field from AstroTurf, a carpet-like surface, to FieldTurf, in which a layer of 2 1/2-inch fibers resembling grass blades are built atop a sand-and-rubber foundation. Although the conversion was approved, installation of FieldTurf — which is favored by the National Football League — will start at the conclusion of the 2002 college football season.

Further frustrating Jones is that the Aloha Stadium bill will come to more than three times the $648,000 Boise State will pay for AstroPlay, which is similar in texture to FieldTurf. The cost difference is traced to the decision to shave down the crown at Aloha Stadium. Boise State officials decided to leave the crown intact at Bronco Stadium.

Boise State football coach Dan Hawkins said Bronco Stadium and Aloha Stadium had the same type of AstroTurf last year.

"There was a time when that old AstroTurf had an allure," Hawkins said. "Not anymore. You get banged up on it a lot. You see those Hawai'i guys getting their skin ripped off all of the time. You don't want to be 300 pounds running around on that stuff."

Hawkins said AstroTurf began to hinder recruiting. "A lot of guys don't want to play on that stuff," he said.

Last fall, Boise State officials opted to change the playing surface. AstroPlay, which is manufactured by AstroTurf, submitted the lowest bid. Soon after FieldTurf's appeal of the bidding process was rejected, work began at Bronco Stadium. Boise State will use money from its revolving fund to pay for the new turf.

"Making the change already has helped recruiting," Hawkins said, noting several Boise high school games also are played at Bronco Stadium.