NCAA News Archive - 2010

back to 2010 | Back to NCAA News Archive Index

    • Print
    Eastern Washington to see red in football

    Jan 29, 2010 8:50:30 AM


    The NCAA News

     

    Eastern Washington will install a red synthetic playing surface in Woodward Field and hopes to have the Eagles seeing red in time for the 2010 season.

    Former Eagle Michael Roos, now with the Tennessee Titans, donated $500,000 toward the project.

    The school believes it will be the first red field in the country. Boise State long has played on blue turf, and Division II New Haven recently unveiled its own blue field. Athletics Director Bill Chaves said additional funding is needed before the project can begin.

    "There is no doubt that one of Boise State's claim to fame has been their blue turf, and like it or dislike it, it has certainly brought them a tremendous amount of notoriety," Chaves said. "In a similar vein, we have a tremendous opportunity at Eastern to do the same by differentiating ourselves with the red turf while providing a superior playing surface."

    Roos and his wife, Katherine, are both graduates of Eastern Washington.

    "We cannot thank Michael and Katherine enough for their generous gift," said Chaves. "As former student-athletes, their leadership takes the thought of ‘learning, earning and returning' to an entirely new level. Our hope is that this will inspire others to join Michael and Katherine in helping complete this project. We are sincerely grateful."

    Football coach Beau Baldwin said he sees the turf field as a recruiting advantage (the Eagles have played on a grass surface in Woodward Field since it was built in 1967). The turf is an advantage in inclement weather, and Baldwin's team often has practice issues late in the season due to darkness. The artificial turf will allow practice on the game field under the lights with minimal field condition concerns.

    "When all is said and done, the most important aspects of this red turf project are the ways it benefits student-athletes at Eastern Washington," he added. "It gives us a surface that's better to play on, and it's extremely important for us to be able to practice on our game field more often."