Bobcat Stadium to Receive Turf
3/21/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Montana State University's 1984 National Championship football team holds a unique place in the school's past. On Friday, that team's head coach Dave Arnold and many of his former players took a leading role in boosting Bobcat Football's future fortunes.
Montana State received approval for a plan to install artificial turf in Bobcat Stadium from the Montana University System Board of Regents Friday, MSU Athletic Director Peter Fields announced, allowing the planning process for the project to begin immediately. The project's funding comes from players and coaches on that 1984 team, an effort endorsed and spearheaded by Arnold.
"This is an exciting improvement to our football stadium," Fields said. "The new turf will allow our student-athletes and coaches to continue competing for league and Football Championship Subdivision championships. I want to thank Coach Dave Arnold for bringing players from that great 1984 team together again to participate in this project, and I want to thank the members of that team who stepped forward and made contributions. Their passion for this school and this program is amazing."
While installation of the turf won't begin until conclusion of the team's spring football drills at the end of April, Fields said the planning stage begins with the procurement of an engineering firm and a contractor for earth-moving. "Once we have those elements in place," Fields said, "the process to install the turf is 75 days. Our plan is for the turf to be ready to use on August 1."
Montana State football coach Rob Ash, a long-time acquaintance of Dave Arnold, whose son E.J. is now a Bobcat assistant, welcomes the addition to his program. "I'm really excited about the turf, for a number of reasons," Ash said. "First, it gives us an insurance policy in respect to the weather on game days. I think it will be much more enjoyable for our players and fans. Just as important to me is the benefit of practice. We won't have to practice on suspect footing, and we won't have to wonder on any given day if we will be able to practice or not. The day we install that turf, we are a better football program."
Ash said a hidden benefit to adding artificial turf to Bobcat Stadium exists. "The other thing I've learned is that when you practice in the Stadium, the quality of film improves because of the facility. That improves the quality and consistency of our teaching and, again, makes us a better program."
The only regret Ash holds, peering out his office window onto a snowy practice field, is waiting for the process to be finished. "If we had turf," he laughs, "we could be practicing right now."
Montana State received approval for a plan to install artificial turf in Bobcat Stadium from the Montana University System Board of Regents Friday, MSU Athletic Director Peter Fields announced, allowing the planning process for the project to begin immediately. The project's funding comes from players and coaches on that 1984 team, an effort endorsed and spearheaded by Arnold.
"This is an exciting improvement to our football stadium," Fields said. "The new turf will allow our student-athletes and coaches to continue competing for league and Football Championship Subdivision championships. I want to thank Coach Dave Arnold for bringing players from that great 1984 team together again to participate in this project, and I want to thank the members of that team who stepped forward and made contributions. Their passion for this school and this program is amazing."
While installation of the turf won't begin until conclusion of the team's spring football drills at the end of April, Fields said the planning stage begins with the procurement of an engineering firm and a contractor for earth-moving. "Once we have those elements in place," Fields said, "the process to install the turf is 75 days. Our plan is for the turf to be ready to use on August 1."
Montana State football coach Rob Ash, a long-time acquaintance of Dave Arnold, whose son E.J. is now a Bobcat assistant, welcomes the addition to his program. "I'm really excited about the turf, for a number of reasons," Ash said. "First, it gives us an insurance policy in respect to the weather on game days. I think it will be much more enjoyable for our players and fans. Just as important to me is the benefit of practice. We won't have to practice on suspect footing, and we won't have to wonder on any given day if we will be able to practice or not. The day we install that turf, we are a better football program."
Ash said a hidden benefit to adding artificial turf to Bobcat Stadium exists. "The other thing I've learned is that when you practice in the Stadium, the quality of film improves because of the facility. That improves the quality and consistency of our teaching and, again, makes us a better program."
The only regret Ash holds, peering out his office window onto a snowy practice field, is waiting for the process to be finished. "If we had turf," he laughs, "we could be practicing right now."
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