[Sly Fox]

The official site offered up an update today and added a current photo:

Williams Stadium Facility Upgrades Continue - New FieldTurf Installation Starts



June 21, 2006
Lynchburg, Va.



On June 20, the second phase of facilities upgrades to Liberty University’s Williams Stadium started as the Astroturf that the Flames have played on for several years started to be torn up to prepare for the installation of Liberty’s new playing surf.

Before the start of the Flames’ football preseason training camp, which opens on August 2, the newest version of FieldTurf will be installed at Williams Stadium, giving Liberty a state-of-the-art playing surface for the 2006 season.


FieldTurf has already established itself as the turf of choice in the National Football League and in NCAA major college football. Twenty-two of the NFL’s 32 teams currently use FieldTurf at their stadiums and/or their practice facilities, including Ford Field in Detriot the site of Super Bowl XL this past January.


FieldTurf is currently in use in more than 25 NCAA Division 1-A football stadiums including Nebraska, Michigan, Wisconsin, Oregon, Washington, Kansas State, Boston College and Missouri.

http://libertyflames.com/index.cfm?PID= ... 40&TeamID=

And they even have gone as far to create a page chronicling the progress on both the field and ops center:

http://www.libertyflames.com/index.cfm?PID=11198

[givemethemic]

The are going to basically have it all prepped and ready to be installed right after the Big July 2nd celebration...

[bigsmooth]

good work GMTM......im surprised you are actually doing ANY work this summer!

[SuperJon]

[Sly Fox]

Good bye & good riddance. Bring on the good stuff that won't leave our players injured all the time.

[thesportscritic]

Can't wait to see the finished product.

[Libertine]

Bring on the good stuff that won't leave our players injured all the time.

Do we have to rehash this again?

[A.G.]

I have to agree with Sly on this one! Good riddance.

[Brokeback Flamer]

As one who is oft critical of decisions made at our Glorious U I really must applaud this one. To actually WAIT to put the turf down until AFTER thousands of people and several objects containing gun powder cycle through is a smart thing. In years past it was always fun to walk the field afterwards and see all the burn marks from the fireworks display. I am glad we are at least giving this new turf a chance at a good life (until NEXT years 4th of july celebration!) BRAVO

[Libertine]

Not arguing the riddance part. The turf served its time and its purpose. I'm just tired of hearing how turf "gets our guys hurt".

[ATrain]

Best part is, we can go ahead and put our logo on the new stuff...W&M must wait for the all-powerful* NCAA before any of their logos go on it.

*Florida State happens to be more powerful

[PeterParker]

That NCAA naming stuff is silly and overreaching IMO. And inequity exists in the decisions on who gets to keep theirs and who must abandon theirs. (Namely high profile moneymaker vs. non-moneymaker for the NCAA brand.)

[PAmedic]

looking forward to seeing the new stuff. Not too late to order royal blue smurf-turf (BSU)

[PeterParker]

Does an Artist rendering exist of what the higher ups hope the future final stadium will look like?
Have they revisited any plans in light of the accelerated effort to move up in football classification?

[A.G.]

You ask, I deliver--especially for the old hags:

[PAmedic]

we HAVE to add the chain link fencing for authenticity's sake.

what a great place that was!

[ATrain]

Wow...City Stadium sure has changed (or at least the baseball park...the football field still looks that way). Just outta curiosity, what were the Hillcats called back then?

[Sly Fox]

I'm guessing L-Sox.

[bigsmooth]

used to be the mets as well.

[givemethemic]

I miss watching the Lynchburg Red Sox.. boy were the early 90's great watching games over at the stadium...

[ATrain]

I like the new stadium they have...now if they could only win. Last year they went to the playoffs and were runner-ups, this year a losing record is contending for Northern Division champ in the Carolina League...eesh.

[PAmedic]

ANYWAY-

back to work on the new turf today? or are there more activities planned for campus this week that would preclude workers getting back on the field?

[bigsmooth]

no activities, but the possibility of rain. the work should resume this week.

[PAmedic]

first one to post pix of the new field wins my undying gratitude

and some updated shots inside the Ops Ctr would be nice too, while I'm being greedy (different thread, I know)

[LU'sbestmanger]

i was speaking to one of the twins from West Virginia (Markus: new walkons 06) and they said we are adding 15,000 seats after this season. that's what he ment when he said coach rocco told him that they are making the adding to the stadium. great news!