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TCU 360: TCU begins $2M renovation to surface of football practice field

TopFrog

Lifelong Frog


TCU 360: TCU begins $2M renovation to surface of football practice field

By Kristen Clarke

TCU football will have a fresh field of grass to practice on for the 2018 season. Although it may look the same, this renovation will cost $2 million, and the grass is being specially imported.

It’s real grass, and it’s made to grow right here in Fort Worth, Texas.

“They’re digging down about three feet and removing all of the old structure and old drainage,” Senior Associate Athletics Director Ross Bailey said.“It really becomes one big flat golf green.”

The structure will have layers of gravel, sand, and a genetically engineered grass called Tiff Tuff, a Bermuda derivative designed to grow in the environment of Fort Worth. This Bermuda derivative is GN-1, a relatively new strain. Bailey said it’s good for golf fairways.

Read more at https://www.tcu360.com/2018/02/tcu-begins-2m-renovation-to-surface-of-football-practice-field/
 

Eight

Member
TCU football will have a fresh field of grass to practice on for the 2018 season. Although it may look the same, this renovation will cost $2 million, and the grass is being specially imported.

It’s real grass, and it’s made to grow right here in Fort Worth, Texas.


am i the only one a bit confused by these two comments?

first, where is it imported from? if that is a feature of the grass you felt important enough to mention shouldn't there be a brief detail about it. is it from florida, california, overseas?

second, wouldn't any "any real grass" grow?

finally, who will be in charge of keeping t ross off of it while he is practicing his short game

also, no mention of where the team will practice in the spring so i guess the answer is agc?
 
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tcudoc

Full Member
If TruGreen came to you and said we can make your lawn look like a big continuous golf fairway for $2 Million, we would all say yes, wouldn't we?
This is to solve an issue that, if it rains, the fields are unusable for 3-4 days. Yet, this field is next to an enormous indoor practice facility in a city with 52 days a year of measurable precipitation, few of those are downpour days with a total rainfall of 36.5 inches of rain per year. Considering that football is a seasonal sport, many of those precipitation days are not practice days. Consider also that some practice days in suboptimal weather are likely beneficial for a team that will likely face those conditions at some point in a season. All of that being considered, was this a wise choice?

This is part of the reason I could never afford TCU if I were a potential student today and part of the reason that I let my phone go to machine when they call for donations. TCU has become a school for the very wealthy, the very poor on full scholarship, or the exceptional athlete. Not many other groups represented.
 

Wexahu

Full Member
If TruGreen came to you and said we can make your lawn look like a big continuous golf fairway for $2 Million, we would all say yes, wouldn't we?
This is to solve an issue that, if it rains, the fields are unusable for 3-4 days. Yet, this field is next to an enormous indoor practice facility in a city with 52 days a year of measurable precipitation, few of those are downpour days with a total rainfall of 36.5 inches of rain per year. Considering that football is a seasonal sport, many of those precipitation days are not practice days. Consider also that some practice days in suboptimal weather are likely beneficial for a team that will likely face those conditions at some point in a season. All of that being considered, was this a wise choice?

This is part of the reason I could never afford TCU if I were a potential student today and part of the reason that I let my phone go to machine when they call for donations. TCU has become a school for the very wealthy, the very poor on full scholarship, or the exceptional athlete. Not many other groups represented.

I was going to say basically the same thing but decided otherwise. The more I read about stuff like this, the further below 0% my kids chances of attending TCU (and me paying for it) goes.
 

jake102

Active Member
curious, you two sending your kids to a community college or wgu?

not saying that $2M for a practice field doesn't sound steep, but i have yet to step foot on a college campus where you can't look around and question where the money is being spent.

At least at public schools the government is subsidizing part of it.
 

Surfrog

Active Member
If TruGreen came to you and said we can make your lawn look like a big continuous golf fairway for $2 Million, we would all say yes, wouldn't we?
This is to solve an issue that, if it rains, the fields are unusable for 3-4 days. Yet, this field is next to an enormous indoor practice facility in a city with 52 days a year of measurable precipitation, few of those are downpour days with a total rainfall of 36.5 inches of rain per year. Considering that football is a seasonal sport, many of those precipitation days are not practice days. Consider also that some practice days in suboptimal weather are likely beneficial for a team that will likely face those conditions at some point in a season. All of that being considered, was this a wise choice?

This is part of the reason I could never afford TCU if I were a potential student today and part of the reason that I let my phone go to machine when they call for donations. TCU has become a school for the very wealthy, the very poor on full scholarship, or the exceptional athlete. Not many other groups represented.

One injury caused by grass quality is one injury too many. The field gets used 220+ days per year by the way. Football is "seasonal" but the field is required to stand up to two-a-days, normal season practice, Armed forces bowl and cotton bowl practices, off season strength and conditioning starts the first day of the semester, where players run on the field during drills, spring ball practices and then summer conditioning. It never has a "down time" to recover.
 

Wexahu

Full Member
curious, you two sending your kids to a community college or wgu?

not saying that $2M for a practice field doesn't sound steep, but i have yet to step foot on a college campus where you can't look around and question where the money is being spent.

I don't know, but if it's $70-80k per year (and it will be by the time my kids are in college the way its trending) they won't be going to TCU unless they have a substantial scholarship. I don’t know, maybe CC and then transfer to a good 4-year State school, that seems to be the best bang for the buck. That's just the way it is and I imagine it’ll be, I’m not wealthy and I don’t have a big inheritance coming my way.
 

tcudoc

Full Member
One injury caused by grass quality is one injury too many. The field gets used 220+ days per year by the way. Football is "seasonal" but the field is required to stand up to two-a-days, normal season practice, Armed forces bowl and cotton bowl practices, off season strength and conditioning starts the first day of the semester, where players run on the field during drills, spring ball practices and then summer conditioning. It never has a "down time" to recover.
It seems to be getting some well-deserved downtime right now. I hope the installation goes well. I would have completely re-sodded the field for 1.5 million but I was never asked to put in a bid.
 
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