Orono, Maine -- The installation of the new, state-of-the-art synthetic FieldTurf surface at Alfond Stadium is complete. The University of Maine football team held its first workout on the new Morse Field surface on Thursday, July 8.

"Our football family is thrilled with the turf installation and excited to get to work on it," head coach Nick Charlton says. "Getting out on the field this week has been much deserved to our players and will be critical as we continue to recruit top student-athletes to UMaine. The state-of-the-art surface, improvements to our locker room, and full fall schedule make 2021 a great time to be a Black Bear."

The new surface replaces the former turf which was originally installed on Morse Field in 2008. The latest turf installment, the first project to be completed under the new Athletics Facilities Master Plan, features FieldTurf's newer Vertex Prime with core, which is a mix of their slit film and monofilament fibers which gives the field a more full look and holds the infill material in place, to provide more a safer surface. The field, which has a 12-15 year life, includes FieldTurf's heavyweight infill system with the most pounds per square foot to help reduce maintenance cost, protect the turf fibers, and keep the safety and performance of the field constant over the lifespan of the surface.
 

"It is exciting to see the new turf in place well in advance of the start of football season," Director of Athletics Ken Ralph says. "This is a long overdue upgrade in quality and safety.  It is also the first visible manifestation of our investments in the Athletic Facilities Master Plan.  I know our students, fans, and supporters are excited for all of the new improvements in the pipeline."

FieldTurf, a world leader in artificial turf with over 20,000 installations worldwide, began the process in late May. The old turf was cut into stripes and sent off to be recycled. The installation process began with laser grading before the first roll of turf was laid at midfield. Each 15-foot section was then stitched together until the field was completely green. The end zone panels were brought in and stitched in along with the light blue boarder on the sidelines. Following that process, the white hash marks, yard numbers, and other markings were cutout and glued into place. The first layer of sand and rubber was added next followed by an initial brushing of the surface fibers. Sand and rubber installation continued until the infill reached completion and was cleared for the team to take the turf for the first time on the new surface.

The Black Bears will host their first game on the new surface on Thursday, Sept. 2 when they host Delaware at 7 p.m. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at GoBlackBears.com/tickets or by calling the UMaine Athletics Box Office at 207.581.BEAR.
 


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