While much of the focus over the last several months has been on the $75 million West Stadium Center at Bill Snyder Family Stadium there has been work going on at two other well-known sports facilities in Manhattan.
Last week, the artificial playing surface known as Astro Play was removed from the floor of KSU Memorial Stadium and will be replaced by a new turf that will be installed over the next few weeks. The old surface was laid down in the summer of 2002 in conjunction with the opening of the Kansas State Alumni Center replacing the natural grass that had been on the floor since the stadium’s opening in the 1920’s. Memorial Stadium is used mainly for intramural sports for K-State students and is home to the University’s club sports including Men’s and Women’s Soccer and Rugby. The Wildcat marching band also practices at the stadium. Memorial Stadium was home of K-State Football from 1922 to 1967. Mark Taussig K-State’s Associate Director of Facilities Management tells KMAN the new surface which should start installation sometime this week is Astroturf Gameday Grass 3D60H, the same surface installed at Bill Snyder Family Stadium and Tointon Family Stadium in 2011.
Taussig also said the track surrounding the playing field will be resurfaced with a more durable material which should allow it to last longer. The project should be complete by the beginning of August.
Meanwhile, at Bishop Stadium in Cico Park, Manhattan High School will be playing its home games on an artificial surface for the first time starting this fall. Bishop Stadium was the last Class 6A Football Stadium with natural grass until the turf project was approved this spring by the USD 383 School Board. The new turf, also Astroturf Gameday Grass 3D60H will also allow for Soccer games to be played at Bishop Stadium. The Tribe will play its first varsity home game on the new surface on September 13 against Emporia.
