Penn State and FieldTurf have partnered to develop a facility dedicated to studying sports surfaces.

The Center for Sports Surface Research, the first of its kind, will be housed on the Penn State campus and managed within the university’s department of crop and soil sciences.

During the first year of the five-year commitment, the center will focus primarily on synthetic turf, though research will include natural turf, running tracks, basketball courts, wrestling mats and other surfaces over the course of the partnership. The research also will incorporate all levels of sport from youth through the professional ranks.

Penn State associate professor of soil science Andrew McNitt, who has been appointed to lead the center, said the overall goal is to take performance and safety to the next level.

“Kinesiologists and biomechanics people tend to work with the human subject right down to the bottom of the cleats,” he said. “Turf-grass people and synthetic-turf companies sort of go up to the cleat. What we’re trying to do at the center is bridge that gap.”

Researchers plan to look at the interaction between surfaces, player types and player activity with an eye toward designing ideal shoe-surfaces that improve safety performance. Other areas of study include abrasion, head injuries, various types of infill and ways to lower the heat of synthetic surfaces.

“Over time, we’ll be able to provide strong scientific information that will help the NCAA do a better job of selecting the appropriate surface for the activity they want to use it for, selecting the proper footwear and even selecting the proper type of training,” McNitt said. “We think we can improve selection and maintenance of surfaces, aid in choosing the correct shoes for particular athletes and ultimately improve training techniques for those surfaces.”

Research at the center will begin this fall.