Artificial turf--an Autzen reality
By JOYCE ROUTSON
Of The Emerald
Some type of artificial turf
will be a reality for Autzen Sta
dium this fall.
According to Norv Ritchey,
Oregon acting athletic director,
the foothall field at Autzen.
pending approval by the Ore
gon State Board of Higher Edu
cation, will be covered with one
of three types of artificial turf.
Co-operating on a joint bid
with Oregon will be Oregon
State University, which also
plans to install artificial turf.
The $300,000 project, includ
ing installation of turf and light
ing, will be ready for the first
football game in September. In
stallation will begin June 2.
Oregon will co-operate with
Eugene School District No. 4
on the project. This will give
Eugene high schools usage of
the stadium on Friday and Sat
urday nights for home games.
District pays §100,000
School District No. 4 is pay
ing $100,000 of the total cost,
or $2,500 per high school per
year over a 10-year period.
Other financing of the project
will be by private contributions.
Pete Murphy of Eugene is head
ing the fund-raising drive.
Artificial turf was decided up
on by the athletic department
mainly because of the heavy
rainfall that makes sod muddy
and unusable for practice. Dur
ing the 1968 football season
alone Eugene had 15.5 inches of
rain.
Other reasons, according to
Ritchey, include fewer injuries
of the artificial turf and ability
to use the field to maximum ca
pacity.
Five more games
“Our use of Autzen field will
jump from five games per year
to over 60,” stated Ritchey. He
also said there's really no lim
it to the amount of use. We could
use it 24 hours a day.
Ritchey also speculated that
PE practice fields may be cover
ed with artificial turf in the fu
ture. “Artificial turf completely
opens up the possibilities,” he
said.
ASTROTURF AT UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
A yellow field with green stripes?
There are three types of turf
under consideration, according
to Ritchey. They include Astro
Turf. by Monsanto, Tartan Turf
by 3M, and Poly Turf by Bilt
rite.
AstroTurf features grasslike
turfts of nylon knitted to a poly
ester backing and has foamed
plastic beneaih. Developed in
1964, it is currently in use at
the Astro Dome in Houston and
Outdoor program
TODAY
Skiing—leave room 23 at 9:30 a.m.
for Hoodoo
Climbing instruction—Chock in rm.
23
SATURDAY
Skiing—leave room 23 at 6:30 a.m.
for Hoodoo
Climbing instruction—leave room
23 at 9 a.m. for Coburg Caves
SUNDAY
Beach hike—leave room 23 at 7 45
a.m. for Florence and two-mile hike
over the dunes to the ocean.
Ski touring—leave room 23 at 7:45
a.m. for a six to 12-mile tour to
Fairview Lookout
Archery—recreational shoocing 2 to
6 p.m.
MONDAY
First aid class—room 23, 7 p.m.
FUTURE
Crater Lake—ski tour around rim,
Feb. 28—Mar. 2
Skin-diving — California, sometime
this term
Tetons—skiing and climbing during
spring break
FRIDAY
Feb. 21, 1969
9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
in
THE
CO-OP
YERN WORTHINGTON
a Trained College
Specialist from
JOHN ROBERTS
wants to meet you
He will assist you in selecting the ring that is
right for you . . . with the proper stone, weight
and style, for the most lasting and beautiful
symbol of your educational achievement.
FOUR WEEK SHIPMENT
the Seattle Municipal Stadium.
Tartan Turf has a deep pile
surface more like a rug than
grass and a half-inch polymer
shock-absorbing mat. Tartan
turf is poured onto an asphalt
surface. It was installed at the
Universities of Wisconsin, and
Tennessee last year.
Poly Turf is similar to Astro
Turf and installed to asphalt
by layering.
Tests will be administered to
each of the samples before de
ciding, remarked Ritchey.
The benefits of artificial turf
have been widely argued. Ac
cording to a Monsanto report,
teams playing on sod suffered
9.6 knee and ankle injuries per
year, while cleatless teams play
ing on AstroTurf reported an
average of 1.6.
On the other hand, there have
been complaints about the hard
and unyielding surface and skid
burns and abrasions on synthet
ic grass.
However, there are no conclu
sive, objective studies available
yet, since artificial turf is a rel
atively new product.
Can be repaired
Ritchey gave a few more facts
about the turf:
• Both types of turf can be
taken up and repaired.
9 The lifetimes of phony
turf is as vet unknown but Rit
chey estimates, with constant
use, a life of 15 to 20 years.
• There are many decorative
possibilities with artificial turf.
One includes a contrasting col
or border. "We could even have
a yellow field with green
stripes!” said Ritchey.
He said artificial turf is also
being planned for Portland Civ
ic Stadium thus making Oregon
the only state in the nation with
three synthetic fields.
Ritchey said he talked to Ore
gon State representatives Thurs
day regarding the turf specifica
tions. Plans will be completed
May 1 and construction begun
June 2.
Oregon ruggers lose
University of British Colum
bia ruggers defeated Oregon's
first team 17-9 Tuesday on the
football practice field.
UBC also won the second
team match 9-5.
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