Pat Dye Field

[aubiefifty 16,791]

take this with a grain of salt but i believe it to be true...............stolen from the rant

 

Not really new news, but I was reading that PD field will be totally gutted and rebuilt this offseason. The drainage system is gravity based now, but they are replacing it with a vacuum system. (I would love to see how this is done, I am a nerd for this kind of stuff).

The old drainage system was installed during Dye's early years. War Eagle Reader has a very interesting article on the details of how it was done back in 1982. Dye basically got an AU engineering professor to volunteer to do it. Many years later, that professor was watching the 2009 WV game and was happy that his system was able to clear the water quickly from that monsoon. (I have to wonder if the new vacuum system will allow AU to reduce the "crown" on the field?).

Secondly, they are going to reduce the amount of grass around the field and will be installing field turf in its place. This is so the turf crew won't have to maintain as much grass that isn't used for actual play. This makes sense to me.

Finally, they are going to modernize the electric and communications systems on the sidelines.

AU has said the project will cost about $6 million and will come out of the athletic budget.

 

[bdc81 90]

Terry Beasley says he wished it was installed for the 1970 LSU game:

Edited December 29, 2023 by bdc81

[drsteve87 91]

I wish they would also lower the field a few feet. It would improve the view from the first 5-8 rows of the stadium. 

[aubiefifty 16,791]

34 minutes ago, bdc81 said:

Terry Beasley says he wished it was installed for the 1970 LSU game:

terry was my favorite of  all our players. he is paying a heavy price now for all those concussions. it makes me so sad. he would getknocked out and they would drag him off the field and give him smelling salts. he almost died a few years ago and many of us mailed him in the hospital and it cheered him up so much it seems to have willed him to get better.

[LPTiger 5,164]

@augolf1716 I had the pleasure to play some courses in the Boca area that had "air conditioned greens."   Not fans around the greens blowing hot air across the greens, but a system, as I understood it, that blew cool air up from the bottom of the greens.   IIRC they were bent greens but that has been 20 years ago and several bottles of Cab so I maybe remembering wrong...  

[augolf1716 21,156]

13 minutes ago, LPTiger said:

@augolf1716 I had the pleasure to play some courses in the Boca area that had "air conditioned greens."   Not fans around the greens blowing hot air across the greens, but a system, as I understood it, that blew cool air up from the bottom of the greens.   IIRC they were bent greens but that has been 20 years ago and several bottles of Cab so I maybe remembering wrong...  

I lived in Boca for about a year or so back in the late 70's one of my home courses was Boca Dunes Golf & Country Club, as for the Air Cond. greens never had those in my day just fans. I understand why being that they are bent grass they would need them.

The Boca area has a lot of golf courses.

 

[SaltyTiger 7,808]

12 hours ago, aubiefifty said:

take this with a grain of salt but i believe it to be true...............stolen from the rant

 

Not really new news, but I was reading that PD field will be totally gutted and rebuilt this offseason. The drainage system is gravity based now, but they are replacing it with a vacuum system. (I would love to see how this is done, I am a nerd for this kind of stuff).

The old drainage system was installed during Dye's early years. War Eagle Reader has a very interesting article on the details of how it was done back in 1982. Dye basically got an AU engineering professor to volunteer to do it. Many years later, that professor was watching the 2009 WV game and was happy that his system was able to clear the water quickly from that monsoon. (I have to wonder if the new vacuum system will allow AU to reduce the "crown" on the field?).

Secondly, they are going to reduce the amount of grass around the field and will be installing field turf in its place. This is so the turf crew won't have to maintain as much grass that isn't used for actual play. This makes sense to me.

Finally, they are going to modernize the electric and communications systems on the sidelines.

AU has said the project will cost about $6 million and will come out of the athletic budget.

 

By vacuum suppose suppose a pump system like Plainsman Park. Series of under drains plus pumps. Hate to hear the thought of anything artificial on the field and would anticipate some push back. 
 

Recall the refurbishment in the 80’s and pretty sure it was 83 or 84. Involved with a project in Opelika at the time. Tons of excess topsoil over a large site and it was all transported to the JHS project.

Drainage system installed worked extremely well as proven in 2009 WV. That rain cost me a couple of hundred at least. 
My now very smart engineer son was a stupid sophomore at the time. Sat through the rainstorm in the student section with unprotected cell phone.

 

[au701948 998]

Please…no artificial turf inside Jordan Hare.

[aubiefifty 16,791]

10 hours ago, au701948 said:

Please…no artificial turf inside Jordan Hare.

lord i hope not.it got osu's qb last night.

[AUBwins 10,075]

13 hours ago, au701948 said:

Please…no artificial turf inside Jordan Hare.

Might be similar to Plainsman around the edges.  Does take away from the aesthethic but can understand why they would want to do this.  None on the playing surface though. 

[SaltyTiger 7,808]

20 minutes ago, AUBwins said:

Might be similar to Plainsman around the edges.  Does take away from the aesthethic but can understand why they would want to do this.  None on the playing surface though. 

Just hate to see artificial turf anywhere inside JHS. Do not care for the small strip at Hitchcock Field. Some things in the world do not need improving.
 

Give an inch and people will be yelling for ridiculous things like orange jersey’s or blue pants for the football team.

[AU_Canoe 230]

31 minutes ago, AUBwins said:

Might be similar to Plainsman around the edges.  Does take away from the aesthethic but can understand why they would want to do this.  None on the playing surface though. 

I agree. I believe several schools are going this route with their high traffic, non-playing areas. Chatted with some friends at UGA and they too are reviewing the same surface tactic due to the difficulty of maintaining the integrity of the grass and the issue of compacting the dirt in high traffic areas. Many schools, i.e., UTK, AU, UGA, etc., are having to use a type of tarp on the ground to minimize damage yet that is causing it's own issues. 

[AUBwins 10,075]

43 minutes ago, AU_Canoe said:

I agree. I believe several schools are going this route with their high traffic, non-playing areas. Chatted with some friends at UGA and they too are reviewing the same surface tactic due to the difficulty of maintaining the integrity of the grass and the issue of compacting the dirt in high traffic areas. Many schools, i.e., UTK, AU, UGA, etc., are having to use a type of tarp on the ground to minimize damage yet that is causing it's own issues. 

Don't we use a tarp for the sidelines? 

[NCTiger1982 171]

This is exciting news. Stay away from artificial turf. Our school has had the BEST grass field in the country. Someone referenced that WV game and it was basically an advertisement for our grounds staff. It was like what ? After a game pause and some commercials TV viewers were like where in the hell did that lake on the field go to ? We have the technology and brains to upgrade yet maintain our grass field. 

[weagl1 1,784]

On 12/29/2023 at 9:53 AM, bdc81 said:

Terry Beasley says he wished it was installed for the 1970 LSU game:

I was at that game.  I thought somebody was going to drown.  

[AU_Canoe 230]

1 hour ago, AUBwins said:

Don't we use a tarp for the sidelines? 

Yeah, I believe it is to help minimize the foot and equipment traffic damage to the grounds. From what I heard, it's more of a stop-gap vs. perm solution. 

[AUBwins 10,075]

1 minute ago, AU_Canoe said:

Yeah, I believe it is to help minimize the foot and equipment traffic damage to the grounds. From what I heard, it's more of a stop-gap vs. perm solution. 

I could see a perm turf there, which I wouldn't mind.  I hate the white sideline stuff. 

Edited December 30, 2023 by AUBwins

[Tampa Tiger 30]

I

[Tampa Tiger 30]

I was in the North Lower Corner at the WV game, and the rain started so fast that I didn't even bother seeking shelter I got so soaked as people tried clear out.

 

I forget the stats of the amount of rain, but it was truly incredible watching all that water move off the turf and just disappear.  Not to mention people stuck around and the atmosphere was one of the best JHS night games I've seen.  AUsome time.

Edited December 30, 2023 by Tampa Tiger