“PLEASE DO NOT GO ON FIELD, DANGEROUS CHEMICALS APPLIED TODAY.” Students have seen these words plastered on signs around Tiger Stadium for the past couple of weeks. Although there is no longer any danger of methyl-bromide poisoning, the signs are there for a reason. The Athletic Department is currently working on what Ronnie Haliburton, assistant athletic director for Facilities and Grounds, calls a re-conditioning of the field. The re-conditioning process involves removing the existing grass from this past football season and replacing it with a similar type of Bermuda grass. The new grass laid down in Tiger Stadium is a hybrid type of Bermuda grass called MS Choice, developed at Mississippi State. “What we had before was not performing up to expectations”, Haliburton said, “The Bermuda grass that we use is very aggressive and is supposed to recover. We saw over the last year that this was not happening as rapidly as it needed to be.” The last time the grass was changed was in 2005 during a total reconstruction of the stadium. This latest process began right after LSU’s April 5 spring football game, when the field was stripped of the old grass. The process included fumigation with a chemical called methyl-bromide, used to eliminate all living organisms in the ground so when the new grass is planted it will be uncontaminated. There is no longer any danger as the chemical process has been over for quite a while. The new grass is already planted and growing. This particular type of Bermuda grass is used because of the tightness of the grass and the way the canopy condenses as it grows in. This is important as the field goes through tremendous physical stress during football season. The project is being performed by Munie Greencare Professionals. Haliburton estimated that a project like this can range from $80,000-$150,000, depending on the price of the grass. Haliburton said the project is “100 percent” funded by the Tiger Athletic Foundation. “Our asset here at LSU is speed, and we cut it pretty tight so it’s a fast track”, Haliburton said. The playing field will definitely be ready for LSU’s season opener August 30 against Appalachian State. “It should be ready to play on for the team’s first in-stadium practice in early August”, said Haliburton. Other things being worked on in Tiger Stadium include upsizing of the visitor’s media room and the addition of more flag poles and scoreboards in the south endzone. Haliburton said all of these projects will be completed by early August.
—-Contact Tyler Harvey at [email protected]