NORMAL, Ill., March 22, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Illinois State has become the latest NCAA university to select FieldTurf for installation at its football stadium. The Redbirds will install FieldTurf at Hancock Stadium in time for the 2007 season, it was jointly announced today by ISU Director of Athletics Dr. Sheahon Zenger and FieldTurf CEO John Gilman. The new FieldTurf will debut when the Redbirds play their '07 home opener on August 30 versus Drake.
The new FieldTurf at Hancock Stadium will replace the facility's previous AstroPlay. Hancock was the first football stadium in the state of Illinois to play on artificial turf when the school first installed it in 1969.
"We are excited about having the latest and best generation of FieldTurf installed in Hancock Stadium," said Illinois State Head Coach Denver Johnson. "FieldTurf is the industry leader in synthetic playing surfaces and I know our players and staff are looking forward to the final product. Not only will the playing surface be state-of-the-art, but the facility will be safer for the student-athletes with the elimination of the concrete aprons surrounding the field."
"This is an exciting moment for our football program and our entire athletics department," said Zenger. "Installing FieldTurf is the first step toward making Hancock Stadium what it needs to be to showcase a football team of a high national caliber."
"Getting the contract to install FieldTurf at Hancock Stadium was very important to us," said Gilman. "We are very active in marketing our product throughout Illinois, and to have a school like Illinois State show their confidence in us speaks volumes about FieldTurf. Every university that is in the market for a new turf for their football stadium does an enormous amount of research before selecting their product of choice. I know that Dr. Zenger and Coach Johnson really did their due diligence before they made their decision. Every time that a university football coach and athletic director chooses FieldTurf, it is a nod in our direction that we are doing things right. We're very excited about this installation, and I know that the Redbirds players, coaches and fans will be very pleased with the product they see on Hancock field this fall."
Hancock Stadium seats 15,000 fans, and has undergone numerous upgrades in recent years, including a state-of-the-art sound system and a new scoreboard. Hancock hosted its first football game on September 21, 1963 when Illinois State hosted Millikin. The stadium is named after Dr. Howard Hancock, who served as the Redbirds' football coach from 1931-44 and its athletics director from 1931-63.
In addition to its growing popularity in the college ranks, FieldTurf has already established itself as the turf of choice in the National Football League. Twenty-one of the NFL's 32 teams currently use FieldTurf at their stadiums and/or their practice facilities. Also, three Major League Baseball teams will use FieldTurf at their stadiums in 2007.
Over the past few years, the quality and performance of FieldTurf's patented system has resulted in over 1900 installations in more than 40 countries, and has made it the first choice for top stadiums around the world. FieldTurf is a privately held company that has revolutionized the artificial turf industry with its patented products and installation technologies. FieldTurf also offers a full range of artificial grass solutions. For more information on FieldTurf, please visit www.fieldturf.com.