With the Aggies preparing to take on Ole Miss Saturday in their SEC home opener, one of the biggest questions is whether the new $300,000 field will hold up.
After the old turf was removed, the team from Carolina Green installed the large rolls of new surface, said Steven Moore, vice chancellor of marketing and communications.
“The new turf system has an almost two-inch base on it which makes it more solid and ensures there is a secure root system in place,” Moore said. “It has been used successfully this year by the NFL as well.”
The official cause of the turf problem was the 4.5 inches of rain College Station received the night before the last home game against Rice.
“The torrential rains we had on Friday night before the Rice game that caused the cancellation of yell practice washed out much of the soil base and damaged the root system,” Moore said.
The sod was grown on plastic and then shipped in refrigerated trucks and installed Sept. 29, giving it two weeks to settle in before the game.
Moore said the football team was able to practice on the field for the first time Thursday.