NSU field goes 3-D

Football is going 3-D at Nicholls State University.

And luckily, the experience can be enjoyed by players and fans without the assistance of goofy-looking glasses.

GeneralSports Venue is amidst the process of installing AstroTurf 3-D at John L. Guidry Stadium. The state-of-the-art synthetic turf, a donation from GSV, replaces the natural grass surface that has been used by NSU for more than 36 years.

Former New Orleans Saints quarterback Archie Manning, spokesperson for GSV’s AstroTurf product line, visited Guidry Stadium last Tuesday to witness the installation of the new gridiron and kibitz with Nicholls officials about his upcoming camp n the Manning Passing Academy n which is set to run at the site Thursday, July 12, through Sunday, July 15.

“We are excited to install AstroTurf 3-D at Guidry Stadium,” said Doug Whitmer, GVS senior vice president, in a press release issued last week. “This latest-generation, state-of-the-art system will provide the university, its students and the Manning Passing Academy with a synthetic surface that leads the industry in performance and durability.”

A construction crew has spent the past week excavating eight to 10 inches of top-soil and laying a non-permeable liner and variable grades of limestone on the field. This subsurface supports the actual turf.

“Depending on weather, it (turf installation) is a fairly quick process,” said NSU Athletic Director Rob Bernardi. “We’ve had a little bit of interruption, so that can add time.”

The composition of AstroTurf 3-D sets it apart from competing brands. According to Bernardi, it consists of a smaller blade of fiber the holds in both sand and rubber fill.

This creates a surface akin to natural grass.

“This is a lot safer than some of the earlier types of Astroturf, where the fill usually washes out,” Bernardi said. “This (AstroTurf 3-D) style of grass has three to four layers of grass underneath it.”

The new turf will also enable NSU to save money typically reserved for herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers, ant poison, and labor costs for running lawn mowers at Guidry Stadium.

“This (AstroTurf 3-D) was something we might have had on a wish list, but in reality, it was something we probably couldn’t have afforded on our own,” Bernardi said. “Other renovations in our athletic department would have been more important. This was something we probably could have never funded.”

NSU football coach Jay Thomas believes his program will benefit immensely from the new field.

“It will provide a big boost,” he said. “The new turf is something that we can use year-around and it will help us a lot with recruiting. Our players are really excited.”

More than 1,000 youth football players will get an opportunity to break in the new digs at the Manning Passing Academy alongside NFL quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning, who help their father run the annual camp.

“I’m really pleased that the camp has become a really big event n not just for the university, but also for the entire community,” Bernardi said. “It gives us positive exposure on a national level.”

Photo by Doug Keese * NSU * Nicholls State University is getting a state-of-the-art AstroTurf GameDay Grass playing surface for its Guidry Stadium, courtesy of Archie Manning and GeneralSports Venue.

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