New Surfaces for Merlin Olsen Field and Dee Glen Smith Spectrum

Merlin Olsen Field at Romney Stadium will have a new look when Utah State University’s football team opens the 2012 season Thursday, Aug. 28, against Southern Utah at 6 p.m.

Crews are currently removing the old synthetic Sprinturf that was installed in 2004 and replacing it with new AstroTurf GameDay Grass 3D60 Extreme. The project is expected to take three weeks and will be completed prior to football players reporting for fall camp Thursday, Aug. 2.

The AstroTurf GameDay Grass 3D60 Extreme football field will feature Utah State’s new athletics logo at mid-field, with ‘Merlin Olsen Field’ written out on both the right and left hash marks from the 15 to 35-yard line, both in traditional navy blue. Both end zones will also be navy blue with the ‘Utah State’ word mark in the south end zone, and the ‘Aggies’ word mark in the north end zone, bookended by the new Aggie Bull, another logo exclusive to athletics. All logos and word marks in both end zones will utilize USU’s new pewter color.

“First of all, having a new playing surface excites the kids,” said Gary Andersen. “It will have a great look and a different look than many of the fields in the country the way we have it diagramed, and I think the players and fans will like that. Second, it should be fast, which will be good for our players to get out and play on; it’s the best turf you can get. And finally, it continues to build our facilities. This field is not just for games. We can have quality practices on this surface in good and bad weather, and it gives us another opportunity to continue to prepare for games at the highest level.”

The field features AstroFlect heat reduction technology, which can lower surface temperatures by as much as 18 percent. The field also has RootZone, a thatch layer that holds the sand and rubber infill in place for less splash and migration, making a more consistent playing surface.

The field rests atop an all-new AstroBase system, 15,000 interlocking panels that provide stability for the field, allowing better drainage and decreasing installation time.

Utah State has another venue getting a face-lift this summer; the playing floor inside the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum is being resurfaced. The new U-State athletics logo will be showcased at center court in its traditional navy blue, while the new Aggie Bull logo, also an exclusive athletics mark, will placed on each side of half-court with the new ‘Aggies’ word mark located directly underneath, both also in navy blue. Finally, the new ‘Utah State’ word mark, written in white, will be located on both baselines, which will also be navy blue.

“The installation of the new turf inside Merlin Olsen Field and the resurfacing of the court at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum are continued steps in the enhancement of our facilities,” said USU Director of Athletics Scott Barnes. “These are our most visible playing venues so we take full advantage of showcasing our new logos.”

Upgrades to both playing surfaces are the latest in a series of recent athletic facility improvements at Utah State. In 2008, the university completed construction on the 69,000 square foot Jim and Carol Laub Athletics-Academics Complex. In 2009, USU opened the Steve Mothersell Athletics Hall of Honor as well as its new off-court basketball facilities, which include the Nate and Heather Wickizer men’s basketball and MerLynn Pitcher women’s basketball locker rooms. In 2010, USU opened the Dr. Randall and Julianne Stockham Student-Athlete Academic Hall of Honor. In 2011, a new synthetic turf was installed in the Stan Laub Indoor Training Center, and in May 2012, USU held a ground-breaking ceremony for a new $6.4 million, 21,000 square foot strength and conditioning center.

Everyone can watch live webcams of both installation projects via Utah State’s athletic website.

Contact: Doug Hoffman, (435) 797-3714