Kinnick Stadium will feature a new playing surface next season. University of Iowa officials announced that FieldTurf will be installed this summer and be ready for the Hawkeyes September fifth opener against UNI. It will be the second time the stadium has featured an artificial surface. AstroTurf was installed in 1972 and replaced by grass in 1989.
Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz says in a perfect world you can’t beat a grass field in any sport, but he says it’s not a perfect world and they all agreed that the field turf would be the best option. He says it’s ironic that the turf was probably in its best shape since he’s been here, he says the flood ended up making the field a problem.
In recent years drainage problems have made it tough to maintain a grass surface. Ferentz says hopefully the new field will work out and he doesn’t think it will be a big factor in games. Iowa is the seventh school in the Big Ten to opt for FieldTurf.