Plans to convert the playing surface in Spartan Stadium from artificial turf to natural grass took a step forward with the hiring of the Lansing-based Haussman Construction Co.
The firm outbid six other construction companies with a price tag of $649,832 and the MSU Board of Trustees accepted that lowest bid at its meeting Friday. Haussman’s responsibilities will include preparing the field, installing pavement, utility relocation and services and creating the irrigation system.
The project is estimated to cost $2 million by completion.
MSU Trustee David Porteous said he’s excited to get the stadium project underway because it’s not only positive for athletics but also academics, giving MSU’s top-ranked Sports and Commercial Turf Management program in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences exposure at home.
“I am pleased to see this project move forward because I think the natural grass in the stadium is a great example of the partnership between the academic and the athletic side of the institution,” Porteous said. “Our Turf Management School has the opportunity to showcase its ideas and concepts to the whole world and have that paid for by the Athletic Department.”
And on the athletic end, natural turf can’t hurt MSU head football coach Bobby Williams’ search for top-level recruits, Porteous said.
“Most recruits indicate a preference for natural grass,” he said. “Every football player that I have met talks about how they look forward to playing on natural grass.”
Trustee Donald Nugent said board members received a preview of the turf system, which entails 4,800 plastic modules that can be removed to keep Spartan Stadium a possibility of hosting concerts, outdoor hockey games and other events.
“With this new design we can have (natural grass) and at the same time we can move the turf out and still have another hockey game or concert,” Nugent said.
The grass began growing last May at the Hancock Turfgrass Center, just south of campus, under the supervision of Crop and Soil Sciences Professor Trey Rogers.
Stadium construction is expected to begin in spring 2002 and to be completed by the Spartans’ first home game on Aug. 31, 2002 against Eastern Michigan.
