In the Spring of 2011, the University of Central Arkansas took a bold step when, on April 1, the athletic department
announced its plans to install the most unique playing surface in college football – a purple and gray striped artificial turf.
With the decision already made to replace the natural grass of First Security Field at Estes Stadium with a synthetic surface – a move expected to save the university nearly $750,000 over a 10-year period – the athletic department reached out to several groups within the UCA community to explore the possibility of pursuing a non-traditional scheme for the new surface.
After positive feedback from many constituent groups, the decision was made to move forward with the purple and gray field.
It is a look unrivaled at any level of college football. Boise State introduced the concept of a non-green field in college football when it installed its famed blue turf in 1986. Most recently, Eastern Washington drew attention with the installation of a red field prior to the 2010 season. Looking to make a splash and help create a nationally-recognizable identity to complement the Bears' long tradition of on-field success – but aiming to do so in a unique fashion – UCA chose to break away from the standard green and the one-color scheme; instead opting to integrate both school colors into the field design to create an exciting look that instantly caught the public eye, months before the actual installation began.
Work on the field – done by
Geo-Surfaces – began in late April, following the conclusion of spring practice, and concluded in June. The nation took notice as the field neared completion, as it was discussed on ESPN programs such as Pardon the Interruption, Around the Horn and College Football Live; drew thousands of comments on the
ESPN SportsNation Facebook page; and was featured in Sports Illustrated.
This followed the attention the initial announcement received, which included several national media outlets and local outlets throughout the country – ranging from web to print to TV to radio. UCAsports.com saw an exponential spike in site traffic, and the video on the athletic department's YouTube channel received more than 200,000 views in a week's time.
The one-of-a-kind field is set apart not only by its alternating color pattern, but also by the the massive logos on either end of the field – including the largest mascot logo on turf anywhere in the the country. The primary UCA Bear logo behind the south end zone measures nearly 61 ft. by 50 ft., and the Central Arkansas wordmark behind the north end zone spans 142 ft. by 48 ft.
In addition to the benefit of additional exposure for the program, the field also brings a number of other advantages. From a functional standpoint, the artificial surface allows the Bears more practice time on the game field than a natural grass surface. With the patented GeoFlo drainage system, the field will offer a consistent, safer surface even in inclement weather. As
the only infill surface in the world that is properly designed with 1 full inch of grass above the infill, the Geo-Surfaces turf maintains better shock absorption than natural grass and statistics indicate a 55 percent reduction in minor/moderate injuries and a 75 percent reduction in major injuries when compared to natural grass.
The recyclable, non-hazardous material used in the synthetic surface also has environmental benefits – eliminating the use of thousands of gallons of water, chemicals, fuel and paint involved annually in field maintenance. In turn, the field also presents a great financial benefit, as officials estimate an annual savings of approximately $100,000 in maintenance costs.
