I think this is smart move considering we had problems with the playing surface. In my opinion, we should install the field turf, but at least Skip plans to improve both surfaces. __________________________________________________________ BATON ROUGE -- The field of Tiger Stadium will be reconditioned and resurfaced prior the 2006 football season and a new synthetic turf will be installed in the Indoor Football Facility, the athletics department has announced. "These two steps are important for the continued success of our football program," said LSU athletics director Skip Bertman. "This will give Tiger Stadium a first rate surface for the 2006 season, and it will provide a modern and safe practice field for the Tigers in our indoor facility." The two projects, at a combined cost of approximately $900,000, will be funded by the Tiger Athletic Foundation. "My thanks to the Tiger Athletic Foundation for once again stepping forward to provide LSU the tools it needs for our coaches and student-athletes to be successful," Bertman said. After the conclusion of the spring football season, 10,000 square yards of sod in Tiger Stadium will be removed to a depth of 3.5 inches, at which time the field drainage system will be cleaned and additional irrigation will be installed. Twenty-five hundred cubic yards of profile mix and soil amendments will be added, then rotor tilled and laser leveled before allowed to settle for approximately three weeks. In June, a mature sand base fiber reinforced sod, currently being grown off-site, will be installed. The surface in the Indoor Football Facility will be replaced in May with a sand and rubber infilled synthetic surface designed to simulate a perfect natural grass surface. This type of surface is currently installed at a number of college and professional stadiums such as the Georgia Dome in Atlanta and the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans.
There appears to be no plan at all for the NFL to pay for some of the costs incurred to fix TS field, even though the NFL games contributed to the wear and tear. If LSU is getting no money for allowing the NO NFL franchise to play games there, why is LSU willing to continue with the arrangement?
I believe there was an agreement that the Saints would pay to fix the field, but that may have only been during the season or something. LSU has repeatedly said that they are getting nothing out of this.
I read originally that the Saints would help pay for a new field in Tiger Stadium after the season. Guess they lied...go figure.
This new playing surface has been part of the Tiger Stadium renovation plans for a couple of years. It has nothing to do with the Saints playing in Tiger Stadium. And knowing Skip, I'm sure he made a few dollars off the NFL and the Saints ... despite what he says.
I HATE field turf. I like my football to be played on grass...REAL grass! I know there's a lot about this field turf that is a benefit, but I think it just looks cheep. I like the smell of the grass, the mud and grass stains on uniforms and the tradition of keeping grass in Tiger Stadium.
Not true. The Saints agreed to resurface twice (replace grass between the hash marks) during the season, if needed. LSU decided to overseed instead of replacing any grass.
1) To keep every bit of money we can in state instead of in San Antonio. 2) To show support for a state institution. 3) Because the LA Superdome would be made available in a similar fashion were the tables turned. 4) Because "we're" not pricks. Pick one... The lasy I heard, LSU did receive (or will receive) $300,000 for each game played there. This was supposed to be done last year, (That was when the OSU game was fresh on Skip's mind.) but everyone pitched a fit that the Purple and Gold game would be cancelled as a result, they postponed it until now.
Skip always said that LSU never intended to make any money off the arrangement. LSU had plans to resurface, and did not bill the Saints for any part of that. Rather than cost the Saints money by asking them to resod what was going to be replaced anyway, Skip chose to overseed with rye, enough of a solution to get through the remainder of the season. Its likely that they checked with the Saints before overseeding, to which Benson almost assuredly agreed to, without the slightest bit of reluctance.
