FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[oldnuthin]

New Guy in Bloomington.....


http://iwusports.com/news/2011/3/8/FB_0308112305.aspx?path=football

Nice resume

[Mr. Flynn]

http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2011/03/nfl-scouts-convene-for-northwestern-pro-day.html

[robertgoulet]

http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2011/03/nfl-scouts-convene-for-northwestern-pro-day.html

Flynn beat me to the punch. 4.58 40-yd dash at 233lbs is damn impressive...Wenger has the instincts, my worry was his 40 time. Looks like he put that to bed.

In other news, when I was logging I was told my user name didn't exist. I paniced...and then realized that I forgot a letter. My D3Boards life flashed before my eyes!

[Titan Q]

New Guy in Bloomington.....


http://iwusports.com/news/2011/3/8/FB_0308112305.aspx?path=football

Pantagraph article...

http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/football/article_2a07f754-49ed-11e0-9e44-001cc4c03286.html

[Titan Q]

FieldTurf at IWU...

http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/football/article_d608013a-49ec-11e0-a91d-001cc4c03286.html

[matblake]

FieldTurf at IWU...

http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/football/article_d608013a-49ec-11e0-a91d-001cc4c03286.html

I think this is great.  Will be interesting to see how the end zones and logos look. 

[New Tradition]

FieldTurf at IWU...

http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/football/article_d608013a-49ec-11e0-a91d-001cc4c03286.html

I'm trying to think...does this leave Millikin as the lone CCIW field left with natural grass?

[ncc_fan]

FieldTurf at IWU...

http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/football/article_d608013a-49ec-11e0-a91d-001cc4c03286.html

I'm trying to think...does this leave Millikin as the lone CCIW field left with natural grass?

... and if Millikin someday installs FieldTurf would they retain the extreme crown on the field?

[matblake]

FieldTurf at IWU...
http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/football/article_d608013a-49ec-11e0-a91d-001cc4c03286.html

I'm trying to think...does this leave Millikin as the lone CCIW field left with natural grass?

Yes it does.  It says so in the article and I double-checked the accuracy of the article using the d3football.com team pages.

[matblake]

FieldTurf at IWU...
http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/football/article_d608013a-49ec-11e0-a91d-001cc4c03286.html

I'm trying to think...does this leave Millikin as the lone CCIW field left with natural grass?

... and if Millikin someday installs FieldTurf would they retain the extreme crown on the field?

I don't know.  I would think the turf would be able to handle many different field set-ups including the massive crown in Decatur, but maybe something to do with drainage or some safety type issue would get in the way? 

[devildog29]

FieldTurf at IWU...
http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/football/article_d608013a-49ec-11e0-a91d-001cc4c03286.html

I'm trying to think...does this leave Millikin as the lone CCIW field left with natural grass?

... and if Millikin someday installs FieldTurf would they retain the extreme crown on the field?

I don't know.  I would think the turf would be able to handle many different field set-ups including the massive crown in Decatur, but maybe something to do with drainage or some safety type issue would get in the way? 

No idea if FieldTurf installation differs in any way than the old AstroTurf, but when we would occasionally practice at ISU back in the day on their old school turf, their field had a considerable crown. 

[Gregory Sager]

FieldTurf at IWU...
http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/football/article_d608013a-49ec-11e0-a91d-001cc4c03286.html

I'm trying to think...does this leave Millikin as the lone CCIW field left with natural grass?

... and if Millikin someday installs FieldTurf would they retain the extreme crown on the field?

I don't know.  I would think the turf would be able to handle many different field set-ups including the massive crown in Decatur, but maybe something to do with drainage or some safety type issue would get in the way? 

No idea if FieldTurf installation differs in any way than the old AstroTurf, but when we would occasionally practice at ISU back in the day on their old school turf, their field had a considerable crown. 

AstroTurf was essentially little more than a carpet laid atop a concrete base. FieldTurf consists of individual silicone grass blades integrated into a crumb rubber infill atop a polypropylene base, which has a lot more "give" to it than does hard concrete and has a foot-feel not much different than your basic grass/soil feel. FieldTurf is thus dramatically safer and causes less wear-and-tear on an athlete's knees, ankles, and back than did AstroTurf. It also drains much better, since polypropylene is a lot more permeable than concrete, which means that crowning for drainage purposes isn't really necessary.

[Always.A.Titan]

FieldTurf at IWU...

http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/football/article_d608013a-49ec-11e0-a91d-001cc4c03286.html

Always a couple years late....  

On this note....although field turf is great and IWU will never have to go practice at ISU again during a monsoon or ice storm, I will miss the grass. I might be a young guy, but I always liked playing on grass compared to the turf for multiple reasons. I'd rather see them turf the practice field and keep the game field as grass.

There is something to be said for the smell of the fresh grass on an early Saturday gameday morning and to see the grass and fog during doubles. It just screams gridiron.

And it was always nice to hear the opponents who came to Bloomington after the middle of October complain about the field 

[CCIWFAN6]

FieldTurf at IWU...
http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/football/article_d608013a-49ec-11e0-a91d-001cc4c03286.html

I'm trying to think...does this leave Millikin as the lone CCIW field left with natural grass?

... and if Millikin someday installs FieldTurf would they retain the extreme crown on the field?

I don't know.  I would think the turf would be able to handle many different field set-ups including the massive crown in Decatur, but maybe something to do with drainage or some safety type issue would get in the way? 

No idea if FieldTurf installation differs in any way than the old AstroTurf, but when we would occasionally practice at ISU back in the day on their old school turf, their field had a considerable crown. 

AstroTurf was essentially little more than a carpet laid atop a concrete base. FieldTurf consists of individual silicone grass blades integrated into a crumb rubber infill atop a polypropylene base, which has a lot more "give" to it than does hard concrete and has a foot-feel not much different than your basic grass/soil feel. FieldTurf is thus dramatically safer and causes less wear-and-tear on an athlete's knees, ankles, and back than did AstroTurf. It also drains much better, since polypropylene is a lot more permeable than concrete, which means that crowning for drainage purposes isn't really necessary.

Astroturf and Field Turf are companies that provide infilled synthetic turf systems that are commonly used on fields today.  The blades are actually made of a polyethylene fiber and tufted and secured by a layer of urethane.

The crumb rubber does offer substantially more resiliency than the old knitted nylon products that people refer to as "astroturf", however, the base is not made of polypropylene, but a permeable stone. The only problem with these fields in relation to grass is the heat that is generated and stored in these fields during the heat of summer.

A crown is still very much necessary on these fields but at significantly less pitch than what was required of the older systems.

[formerd3db]

Interesting discussion guys, re: the new synthetic turfs.  We've discussed the same at various times in the past as well over on our MIAA board as have our colleagues on some of the other boards.

One minor clarification:  the new "Astroturf" is nothing like the old Astroturf.  That old "stuff" is as has been described and in this current era, would be very dangerous.  The new version is actually called AstroPlay and is like FieldTurf.

Also, while I realize that many people love the natural turf for various reasons, having the practice fields utilizing the new style turf while having one's actual stadium playing field in natural grass as Titan Q has mentioned, is not a good idea.  Two different playing surfaces is one of the main causes of injuries, particularly "shin splints"; thus, the fields should be all the same.  While it might be fun to hear the opponents complain in the middle of the season, it is not an amusing situation when people end up spraining or fracturing ankles as well as concusions because of the huge craters, divot holes and large sod pieces flipped up and lyiing around that make the field look like a war zone mine field (or a gopher field out west) - believe me, I've seen this happen.  In addition, the problem with having grass for many of our small colleges is that they just don't have the manpower or $ to properly maintain a natural turf and that also can lead to injuries and dangerous situations.  In past years, I know of some colleges where the actual coaching staffs have had to do the mowing, lining, painting, of the fields and that is really not the ideal situation or in reality, feasible.  Yet, if that is olnly what a particular school can afford, then they have to do what best fits their situation.  However, once your stadium is renovated, the cost of the field will more than pay for itself in the long run; plus, more student-athletes/sports can utilize it.  Just my $0.02 cents worth.