The Aloha Stadium Authority, which has the final say on the matter, will meet today to decide whether to replace the existing AstroTurf and discuss the conditions under which the change could be made at the 27-year-old stadium.

Should the state not replace the current AstroTurf surface, the NFL has threatened to take its Pro Bowl game ­ which has been played in Honolulu since 1980 ­ to another site.

"I don't think we should take their threats lightly," said Rick Humphries, the authority's interim executive director.

FieldTurf officials have estimated the installation will cost $877,000 – a discount of about $100,000-$150,000. The authority will pay $500,000 and the NFL will cover the balance, Humphries said.

The authority's portion will come from existing funds in the current fiscal year; it is not taking money from other programs or contracts.

The authority also agreed to provide "whatever support we can" to honor the contract and continue the state's relationship with the NFL.

The NFL has named only FieldTurf as an alternative to natural grass. Other similar products, such as AstroPlay and NextTurf, are not options although an AstroTurf representative said his company was willing to install AstroPlay at a reduced cost.

The state agreed to use its "best efforts" to replace the AstroTurf as part of a five-year, $22-million contract with the NFL to play host to the Pro Bowl. The deal was negotiated by the tourism authority.

The NFL wants to replace the turf because players are concerned about injuries they suffer while playing on AstroTurf.

Earlier this month, Gene Upshaw, executive director of the NFL Players Association, wrote to the Stadium Authority, saying "we must insist that field conditions are improved upon. ... I strongly urge you to see to it that this issue is taken care of in a timely fashion."

According to the contract brokered in 1999, the playing surface was to have been changed for the 2002 Pro Bowl. If FieldTurf is to be ready in time for the next Pro Bowl, it must be installed by mid-August, before the start of the high schools and University of Hawai'i football seasons.

"If we don't do it by then, it won't be ready for the Pro Bowl in February ­ and the NFL wants it changed," Humphries said.

FieldTurf CEO John Gilman has assured the state that the turf can be installed in about two weeks, assuming favorable weather conditions. That doesn't include the time it would take to prepare the field for the new surface.

FieldTurf is an grass-like product that uses layers of sand and rubber infill. Polyethylene fibers that simulate grass blades are woven into a backing. The infill, which provides a cushion, is made primarily from recycled tires and sneakers.

When negotiations began last year, Gilman said the FieldTurf carpet was cut to fit the field at Aloha Stadium.

Larry Price, Aloha Stadium Authority chairman, has been vocal in his opposition to replacing the current AstroTurf because it is relative new, cost $2.4 million price tag and has five years remaining on its warranty.