College of Wooster improves, enhances athletic facilities
The College of Wooster’s football team’s first practice on the new turf field at John P. Papp Stadium was Aug. 10 while the first game will take place Saturday, Sept. 9 when the Fighting Scots host Olivet.
Amajor renovation to Andrew Turf Field and Carl Munson Track at John P. Papp Stadium that is nearly complete and 12 new tennis courts on the northeast end of campus headline the 2023 facility improvements and enhancements for The College of Wooster’s 23 varsity athletic teams and recreation programs.
John P. Papp Stadium, which was in need of replacements to the turf and track surfaces, underwent a $4 million renovation that started this spring. The turf replacement, track replacement, new LED lighting, new equipment, site work around the facility, and logistics for lacrosse and track and field, which practiced and competed offsite after spring break, were all part of the cost.
ForeverLawn, headquartered in Louisville in Stark County, is the vendor for the new turf. The product-based sand and rubber infill carpet is the same surface as Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, located adjacent to the grounds of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. Wooster’s turf is 1.75 inches high, a quarter-inch lower than Tom Benson, to accommodate field hockey. A shock pad was added beneath the turf, something Andrew Turf Field did not have previously. That improves the surface hardness (gmax) of infill-based systems.
Fighting Scots fans will notice the two-tone green on the turf, which alternates every 5 yards. The end zones are all black with the college’s refreshed wordmark across them. A gold W mark from the updated branding is featured at midfield while deconstructed Tartan clearly identifies the team sideline areas for football. Gold marks the lines for soccer and women’s lacrosse while red and black are the lines for men’s lacrosse and field hockey, respectively.
Beynon Sports Surfaces, which has installed the track surface at places like the University of Oregon, six of the 14 institutions in the Southeastern Conference, Stanford University and over 20 other NCAA Division I facilities, is the vendor for the new surface at Carl Munson Track. The 13-millimeter polyurethane surface with embedded texture features a two-tone gray design, which closely mirrors the two grays introduced as part of the athletic department’s refreshed color pallet in 2021.
Several enhancements also were made for field events. An expanded footprint on the west end of the stadium led to two runways being added for long jump and triple jump, and a new high jump area was constructed. The east end, where long jump and triple jump were contested previously, is now the exclusive home to pole vault. New equipment including pits for the high jump and pole vault, new hurdles, and new steeplechase barriers were purchased as part of the renovation.
Musco Sports Lighting transitioned the lighting at John P. Papp Stadium to a more energy-efficient LED system. The new lights, which come with the ability to have a preprogrammed light show, use over 40 kilowatts of energy less per hour when they are in use than the old lighting system. Musco’s ball-tracking technology also is included as part of the package.
The new tennis courts, which cost $2.6 million, are comprised of the three-coat 100% Novacrylic Combination Color Surface System. Nova green, a darker tone, comprises the main playing surface of the courts while the lighter Nova perimeter grass green is the color for the rest of the surface, which was installed by Site Technology Incorporated based in Stow. Edwards Classic Round Black Tennis Nets, the same net used at Wimbledon, and Edwards Classic Round Black Net Posts, which exceed United States Tennis Association standards, are installed on the courts.
Bleacher seating will be moved over from the former tennis courts on campus while ample parking is available at the new courts. Windscreens incorporating many of the college’s new branding elements such as the college’s new mascot Archie will be added in the coming weeks.
Other updates to outdoor athletic facilities include a new driving range mat that patrons can place tees directly into at L.C. Boles Memorial Golf Course and an updated wedge range for use by the college’s varsity teams located to the east of the new tennis courts.
Wooster’s football team’s first practice was Aug. 10 while field hockey started practice on Aug. 15. The first game on the new turf will take place Saturday, Sept. 9 when football hosts the University of Olivet (Michigan) at 1 p.m. Men’s tennis will play its first match on the new tennis courts on Sunday, Sept. 10 against Trine University (Indiana) at 1 p.m.
Kevin Smith is director of athletic communication at The College of Wooster.