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Teal Turf arrives at Benton Field

The highly anticipated teal turf at Brooks Stadium started its rollout on Thursday afternoon, April 2.

The turf, which resembles a giant carpet, is being rolled out and sewn together. The project will be completed later this month. The colors of the turf are teal, bronze, black and white.

Mark Avant, the project manager, said each of the 60 panels that will cover the field are about 15 feet wide.

Coastal Carolina Director of Athletics Matt Hogue said the synthetic field will save a substantial amount of money over the 10-year life of the turf in terms of maintenance, painting and other upkeep costs.

"The project is in alignment with the sustainability goals of the recent gift provided by TD Bank to the University."

Spriing commencement, which is scheduled for Saturday, May 9, will be held on the new teal field.

"When the decision to install an artificial turf field was made, it only made sense that the turf be teal," said Hogue. "In addition to our winning tradition, we are known nationally for our distinctive color scheme. And it's not just the color our teams wear, but a campus-wide identity. We felt this would be a great opportunity to further build that brand."

The project has a budget of $1.2 million and will give the sports programs more versatility and options for both practice and game days.

"The economics of this project are advantageous," said Hogue. "This surface has approximately a 10-year lifespan and will save significant dollars and resources in terms of maintenance, painting and other field upkeep costs," Hogue said. "Additionally, the project is in alignment with the sustainability goals of the recent gift provided by TD Bank to the University."

Artificial turf versus a grass playing surface will help alleviate practice space challenges as well as provide a safe and durable option if there is inclement weather. Also, the quality of the playing surface will remain consistent throughout several seasons, including postseason football and in the spring for women's lacrosse, which is typically contested on artificial turf. The more versatile surface also offers the University the opportunity to host nonathletic special events.

Medallion Athletic Products of Mooresville, N.C., partnered with Shaw Sports Turf for the project contract after being selected through the state bidding process.

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