KIRKLAND, Wash., March 27, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Qwest Field, the home of the National Football League's Seattle Seahawks, will install the latest-and-greatest version of FieldTurf this spring in preparation for the 2008 season. Seattle's new expansion entry in Major League Soccer will also play their home games on the new FieldTurf surface at Qwest Field. In addition, the Seahawks will install FieldTurf on one of the primary practice fields at the team's brand-new practice facility/office complex that is scheduled to open later this year in Kirkland. This announcement was jointly made by FieldTurf Tarkett CEO Joe Fields and Seahawks President of Football Operations Tim Ruskell.
When the Seahawks previously played at the University of Washington's Husky Stadium, they became the first NFL team to play their home games on FieldTurf. The Seahawks were so pleased with the product that they had FieldTurf installed at Qwest Field when they moved into that state-of-the-art facility six years ago. Additionally, the club purchased a FieldTurf field for their training complex in Kirkland. Now, both the stadium and the new practice facility will receive a new field from the worldwide leader in artificial surfacing.
Qwest Field is one of nine NFL stadiums to utilize FieldTurf, joining Atlanta's Georgia Dome, Cincinnati's Paul Brown Stadium, Detroit's Ford Field, Indianapolis' RCA Dome, Minnesota's Metrodome, New England's Gillette Stadium, New Jersey's Giants Stadium and St. Louis' Edward Jones Dome. Overall, 21 of the NFL's 32 teams now use FieldTurf at their stadium and/or their practice facility.
"Everyone at FieldTurf feels an especially close kinship with the Seattle Seahawks," said Fields. "They were the very first NFL team to believe in our great product, and we are forever grateful to them. The early confidence that the Seahawks displayed in FieldTurf has certainly played a key role in the tremendous reception that we have received throughout the NFL. We are very proud of the fact that both the Seahawks and Seattle's new MLS team have again chosen FieldTurf as their turf of choice. A team's most valuable asset is its players, and we greatly appreciate the trust that has been placed in FieldTurf by Qwest Field, the Seahawks and Seattle MLS."
"Selecting the playing surface at Qwest Field and our practice facility is one of the most important decisions a team can make," said Ruskell. "We are thrilled to use the latest-and-greatest version of FieldTurf, as the players have continued to consistently place Qwest's surface among the NFL's elite."
"Eight years ago we became the first NFL team to play our home games on FieldTurf," said Seahawks Head Coach Mike Holmgren. "Home field advantage is not just Qwest Field or the noise of the 12th man, it's also the surface we play on."
In the most recent NFL Players Association survey (released in 2007), the existing FieldTurf at Qwest Field was ranked by league players as the second-best playing surface amongst all NFL stadiums. Qwest trailed only Tampa's Raymond James Stadium, and thus ranked higher than 18 of the NFL's 19 natural grass fields, a truly amazing feat.
In addition to FieldTurf's NFL teams, more than 40 major NCAA universities have it in their stadiums, including Washington, Washington State, Oregon, Oregon State, Ohio State, West Virginia, Nebraska, Michigan, Wisconsin, Boston College, Rutgers, Kansas State, Louisville and Missouri. In addition, MLB's Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Minnesota Twins and Toronto Blue Jays have FieldTurf at their respective stadiums.
With over 2500 installations in almost 50 countries, FieldTurf Tarkett is the largest entity in the sports surfacing industry and provides unparalleled leasing capabilities, engineering and manufacturing resources. In addition to its world-renowned FieldTurf and Prestige brands of artificial turf, FieldTurf Tarkett provides an equally impressive range of products that includes synthetic and hardwood basketball, volleyball and gymnasium flooring, squash and racquetball courts, floor protection and covering systems and weight room flooring. Also in the range of FieldTurf Tarkett products are indoor and outdoor running tracks, including the high performance 'Le Monde' track system, playground surfacing and a complete range of tennis and golf surfaces. For more information on FieldTurf, please visit www.fieldturf.com.