Feb. 14, 2008

Ground breaking ceremonies for McNeese State's new artificial turf for Cowboy Stadium will be conducted at 12:30 p.m. Monday at the stadium.

The general public is invited to attend.

The ceremonies will take place on the field and in attendance will be local businessman Robert Noland who provided funds for the undertaking, university president Dr. Robert Hebert, interim athletic director Tommy McClelland, head football coach Matt Viator, representatives of the Cowboy Club, Petrochem Athletic Association and Quarterback Club which provided additional funding for the project and a representative from GSE GeoSport Surfaces, the company that will install the turf.

The turf is a GeoMax2 infilled "replicated grass" field with GSE ProDrain 57 drainage and shock attenuation blanket.

The cost is $800,000 and it will take approximately 97,500 square feet to cover the field and that includes a six foot wide walk and drainage system around the entire perimeter.

GSE is the largest geo-synthetics manufacturer in the world and the inventors of all rubber infill "replicated grass."

The GeoMax2 "replicated grass" surface that is being installed is the only infill system in the world that eliminates `flyout' (movement of infill). This dispenses of the need for daily or weekly maintenance to re-level displaced infill by increasing the density of the grass to almost three times the industry standard.

The ProDrain 57 dynamic drainage blanket and shock pad that will be installed at Cowboy Stadium is guaranteed to evacuate even the heaviest of storm intensities. The stadium will never have visible or puddling water on its field.