As the Ferris football team starts its 2019 campaign, they will be playing on a brand-new surface.
Top Taggart Field saw its turf replaced for the first time since 2008 in a $850,000 project. The project included the demolition of the old turf along with the erection of new goal posts and pads. Ferris athletic director Perk Weisenburger helped oversee the project.
“It’s a beautiful field that will be a fantastic playing surface for our student-athletes and visitors to practice and compete on,” Weisenberger said. “Aesthetically, it’s really a vibrant and good looking surface.”
Player safety is one of the major reasons why the field was replaced.
“It’s new and therefore will provide much better footing and traction and especially in poor climate conditions. It also has one of the top manufactured shock pads as an under layer, which will prove to be safer and more of an effective injury prevention mechanism designed to limit the wear and tear on the body and particularly the head and neck area when tackles and collisions take place,” Weisenberger said.
The turf will also help contribute to the playing style of the Bulldogs.
“It has a strategic mix of sand and crumb rubber infill designed to not only make it a safer surface to compete on, but also it’s a fast surface which fits our style and make up for the type of athlete that we recruit and attract at Ferris State,” Weisenberger said.
Fans of the Bulldogs can see the new turf in action when the Bulldogs take to the field 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 5.
