No, Virginia, I didn't know that "Athletic Turf News" really does exist. But it does: and yes, they are showing the big news that Lehigh is upgrading the natural grass that has been in place since even before Murray Goodman Stadium existed. (Actually, those lazy reporters over at ATN actually just cribbed the report from Lehigh's website.)An entire photo gallery of the renovation lives here (and that's where I got the great shot to my right).
Cheer up, Lehigh fans: you don't need to renew your subscription, here's the scoop right here:
"This project is part of our University's ongoing commitment to facility maintenance, and had been planned for some time,” Lehigh Dean of Athletics Joe Sterrett ’76 explained. “Goodman Stadium is a distinctive setting for football, however, the grass turf and subsurface had reached the end of a long (40 years-plus) life.”
He continued, “The availability of modern irrigation and drainage systems and the comparative durability of specialty athletic grasses will help to make the field one of the best natural fields anywhere."
Lehigh head coach Andy Coen offered his thoughts on the project. “I am very pleased with the upgrades we are being able to make to our surface in Goodman Stadium. I believe it really shows Lehigh's commitment to providing the best to its student athletes.”
He continued, “What we have been able to do is make the best venue in the Patriot League even better. I expect that when the project is completed we will have the best natural surface in the Northeast. Goodman has always provided a great environment for our players and now we will have a surface to match that.”
I'm on the record before as saying that I'm just thrilled that Lehigh is keeping the natural grass field - one of a dwindling number of natural-grass fields in the entire country. Too many schools have given up on the real stuff (like "that school in Easton") with the argument that grass is too expensive to maintain. To that I say: 124 years of Lehigh football with grass fields - um, yeah, I think we know a little something about it, and we've been able to make it work.
A bit more about what is being done to the field is described here - as LSU's field is undergoing a similar process to Lehigh's.
Some more miscellaneous bits from around the Patriot League as well:
* The CFO of Pfizer recently had this article published about him, where it describes his days playing college ball and - it is reported - his son has been awarded a scholarship to play at Bucknell. It's probably the typical typo about the Patriot League and the awarding of scholarships - but if the son of Pfizer's CFO is getting a scholarship... it must be Bizarroworld.
* My buddy Jake over at Roar Lions Roar reported about the most recent development regarding New York City college football: the beginning of the NYC National Football Foundation chapter there. Given great star power with the appearances of folks like Eli Manning, Rudy Giulliani, Fordham was represented by AD Frank McLaughlin and Columbia's representative was AD Dianne Murphy. If anything can generate better coverage of Fordham or Columbia games, it hopefully will partially be a result of this long-overdue chapter getting active about promoting football in the Big Apple. Anything that helps publicize Fordham - and by extension the Patriot League - is great for our brand of football. ("Eli Manning" and "star power" in the same sentence. Who would have believed that in, say, 2006?)
* Colgate RB Nate Eachus, the local superstar and one of Lehigh's that "got away", had an article published about him and the "Big 33" game coming up this weekend. (Having those kids practice in this heat? Hey Mr. Hershey, can't we just give them all some Krackels and call the whole thing off?)
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