When games begin, Wilmington College football, soccer and lacrosse players will have new athletic turf at Townsend Field.
And the new turf will include a concussion pad.
After 12 years, the turf is being replaced by The Motz Group and WC athletic director Terry Rupert said the scheduled installation should be completed in time for the fall season.
“It should be good to go by the end of July,” said Rupert.
The concussion pad is new to the turf field at WC. It was not part of the previous turf.
Wilmington College was one of 30 NCAA institutions that took part the past three years in the NCAA Department of Defense Concussion Study.
Students, for now, are scheduled to report to Wilmington College Aug. 18-19, Rupert said. With Covid-19, “that’s subject to change1`” Rupert added.
Rupert said the athletic department also is now securing bids to “upgrade” the pressbox at Williams Stadium.
The turf is 12 years old, Rupert said, but the life expectancy is approximately eight years, “so we were very lucky to (have the turf) outlive the warranty.”
Townsend Field is home to the Wilmington College football, men’s soccer, women’s soccer and lacrosse teams. Other teams are able to use the turf for practice. The track and field teams utilize the infield during practice and home meets.
“It was … not yet unsafe, but probably the next year or so getting to be unsafe,” Rupert said.
The WC athletic director said the decision was made after the 2019 fall season to replace the team. A new deal was done in December but because of Covid-19 work could not start until the last several weeks.
