One thing is for sure, NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championships will all be won on AstroTurf in the United States for at least the next four years. The NCAA has recently announced their venues for their National Championships for the next four years and the field hockey venues that they chose all have one thing in common, they are all at universities that have selected AstroTurf as their playing surface of choice.
The University of Louisville will host the games in 2018, Wake Forest University in 2019, Old Dominion University in 2020 and The University of Michigan in 2021. The games at Louisville, Wake Forest and Old Dominion will all feature AstroTurf System 90, which combines the traditional knitted nylon top cloth with a 3/8th inch closed cell pad. The knitted nylon surface is unique to AstroTurf and preferred because it provides tight tolerances, non-directional play and a uniform surface. It is the “original” AstroTurf carpet for Field Hockey-exclusive fields and has traditionally been used by most elite programs. The games at the University of Michigan will feature Poligras Platinum CoolPlus system. This is one of the first installations of a Poligras field by AstroTurf® since SportGroup acquired the industry originators. SportGroup is the parent company of Polytan, which manufactures Poligras. Along with the A12 and AstroGrass products that AstroTurf has been famous for these many years, Poligras Olympia rounds out an impressive portfolio of hockey systems available for its North American clientele.
This past year saw a Field Hockey National Champion crowned on AstroTurf as well. The University of Delaware won the trophy playing at Old Dominion University. The Delaware Blue Hens will soon have an AstroTurf field to call their own as installation of a System 90 field is scheduled to be completed by July.
This just goes to show that success breeds success. That is true in Field Hockey and the artificial turf business. Ask any Division I Field Hockey coach with a synthetic field what product they have and chances are they will say AstroTurf. That’s because AstroTurf is the preferred system of 83% of those schools. AstroTurf fields have long been regarded as the unequivocal standard for field hockey performance and are the favorite among coaches and players alike for their playability, durability and low maintenance requirements.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that AstroTurf is only for Division I schools. There will also be National Championship games played on AstroTurf at Division II Slippery Rock and at Division III Spooky Nook. Truth is, AstroTurf can be found at every level of Field Hockey and at any place where excellence is expected and championships are pursued.
About AstroTurf®
For athletes and sport enthusiasts, AstroTurf® has redefined the way the game is played. The brand offers advanced, state-of-the-art, multi-sport and specialized synthetic turf systems with proprietary engineered technologies. A growing number of high schools, colleges, professional sports teams and municipalities continue to select AstroTurf-branded products for their premium quality, technical superiority, and safety. To learn more, visit AstroTurf’s newly redesigned website at www.astroturf.com.