Installation of McBride Field's new playing surface has been completed. The 78,416-square-foot synthetic surface, installed by Maumee Bay Turf Center, will serve as home base for the Kenyon football, field hockey and men's lacrosse teams for years to come.
McBride's old surface, which had been in use since 2004, was peeled back in May to make way for the new surface, a UBU Sports Speed S5-M synthetic turf system that features the 2.5-inch Harmony fiber and an infill mixture of 70 percent rubber and 30 percent silica sand. The system ensures a fast, firm and safe playing surface with a drainage capacity that exceeds 40 inches of water per hour. It is the same playing surface used in the past two Super Bowls and the same currently used by several National Football League teams, including the Cincinnati Bengals.
"We are extremely excited to have the chance to update and upgrade McBride Field," Assistant Director of Athletics Justin Newell said. "UBU is second-to-none for multipurpose surfaces ideal for high-impact sports like football and lacrosse, as well as for smooth, even play in field hockey."
The surface is decorated with the Kenyon athletics logo at midfield and the Kenyon athletics wordmark in the end zones. Kenyon's football and field hockey teams will use their August preseason practices to become accustomed to the new turf, and the first scheduled competition on new-look McBride Field is slated for Wednesday, Sept. 9, when the field hockey team hosts the College of Wooster.
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