Michigan State University Athletics
Spartan Stadium Named Collegiate Football Field Of The Year By Sports Turf Managers Association
11/16/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 16, 2005
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Spartan Stadium has been named the top collegiate football field for 2005 by the Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA). MSU Sports Turf Manager Amy Fouty will accept the award at the annual STMA Conference and Exhibition in January. Fouty is the first woman to receive the award in the collegiate football category.
Natural grass returned to Spartan Stadium in 2002 after a 33-year absence, with the installation of a modular field. The new playing surface, planted in May of 2001 at MSU's Hancock Turfgrass Research Center, is comprised of a blend of nine varieties of Kentucky bluegrass.
"This is a great honor for Michigan State University," said Fouty. "There were so many groups who helped make this happen, from turf management to soil science to students to athletics. President Lou Anna K. Simon and Vice President Fred Poston were also instrumental in making this happen. It's great when academics and athletics can work together to achieve something like this."
The STMA Field of the Year Award program, which began in 1992, hands out awards for five field types: baseball, football, soccer, softball and complex. For each field type, awards may be given in three categories: professional, collegiate, and school/parks. A panel of five judges independently scored each entry based on the playability and appearance of the playing surfaces, innovative solutions employed, effective use of budget, and the development and implementation of a comprehensive, sound agronomic program.
"We are pleased and extremely proud to have the Spartan Stadium field recognized with this award," said Greg Ianni, Senior Associate Athletics Director. "It is not just an athletic department honor, but one the entire university can embrace as it represents the successful adaptation of a technology developed at Michigan State. This is a fitting tribute to the field designers, Dr. Trey Rogers and Dr. Jim Crum, Professors in the Department of Crop and Soil Science, as well as Field Manager, Amy Fouty, who has brought the field to award winning status."
STMA is a non-profit, professional association for the men and women who manage sports fields. Its more than 2,400 members oversee sports fields and facilities at schools, colleges and universities, parks and recreational facilities, and professional sports stadiums. STMA's goal is to manage natural turf and synthetic surfaces to produce safe and aesthetically pleasing playing surfaces for athletes at all levels of playing abilities.
"The Field of the Year Award validates the great work of our members," said Kim Heck, CEO of the Sports Turf Managers Association. "This honor is one of only a handful that the association awards to recognize quality sports field management. Amy's expertise is definitely reflected in the award-winning playing conditions of Spartan Stadium."
Spartan Stadium is in its 82nd season as home to Michigan State football. The Spartans have compiled a 303-130-13 (.694) record since taking up residency in Spartan Stadium (formerly Macklin Field) in 1923. Spartan Stadium recently underwent a $64 million expansion project that was completed this fall, featuring the addition of nearly 3,000 seats, including 24 suites and a 193-seat press box, bringing the current stadium capacity to 75,005.
