Central Connecticut State University - Arute Field

Jim, I was glad that I had a chance to speak with you during your visit to Central today. As I am sure you could see, we are very proud of our new Athletic Complex and the state of the art FieldTurf. I know how important it is for you, to make sure that you get the best product available for your program. It was only a year and a half ago that I began my research to insure that Central State University purchased the best product on the market. I spent almost six months making calls, visiting fields, and reading literature to make sure that we made an eduacted professional decision. As you know in an addition to my duties as the Head Football Coach, I was also serving as the Associate Athletic Director in charge of facilities. Now, as the Senior Associate Athletic Director, I look back with a sense of relief that we selected the best product on the market. We have received nothing but positive feedback in regards to the field. Our new football coach said it best. He has coached for over 35 years and played on hundreds of surfaces during his coaching stints at Virginia, Colorado State, Ball State and Michigan. His only complaint was that when he walked on the field you couldn't smell the fresh scent of grass clippings. Jim, I am sure that your research into the various surfaces will make it clear that FieldTurf is the elite product. They have proven that their product meets the highest standards. They began with Nebraska, and quickly have grown to have installations around the country. A few of the most prestigious include: Green Bay Packers, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs, Devil Rays, Sea Hawks, University of Cincinnati, Washington, Tulsa, Nevada and over 300 others. FieldTurf has over 85 percent of the market for this type of synthetic surface. They have a history that supports the quality of their work. During our installation I was on the field every day. The crew was professional, and meticulous in their installation. The entire project was completed in 8 weeks. FieldTurf has our student-athletes convinced as well. We practice on the surface every day. There are never any turf burns, our kids say that it is awesome with no fatigue factor, and it is forgiving when you talk about injury. Our President of the University is one of the premier Emergency Medical Directors in the county. He made it clear to me when we were going to select a product that the welfare of our student-athletes was the single most important concern for him. He also made some phone calls and was also convinced that FieldTurf was the best product on the market. I know that you are committed to excellence and I am sure that after you complete your review of the various surfaces out there, you will see that Fieldturf maintains the same commitment to excellence that we all admire. If I can be of any further assistance to you please don't hesitate to call me.