Along with the construction on the west side of Tiger Stadium, more projects are beginning to get under way for the LSU Athletic Department.
Munie, a company based out of St. Louis, was recently hired to replace the grass in Tiger Stadium while LSU Facility Services repaired the field irrigation system.
Jeff Kershaw, manager of athletic facilities, said the project, which will cost about $150,000, should take one month to be completed, and that these renovations to the field were “needed very badly.”
Of the four drains located at each corner of the end zones, Kershaw said three were malfunctioning, including the irrigation system near the visitors’ locker room, which was collapsed.
“The reason we’re doing this is to improve the internal drainage on the field and to install a new kind of Bermuda grass,” Kershaw said.
The Bermuda grass in Tiger Stadium suffered more damage than normal this past season because the field not only hosted six LSU home games but was also used for three New Orleans Saints games and a game between Tulane and Southeastern.
“We were going to do this project anyway, but there was virtually nothing left out there after the Saints used the field,” Kershaw said. “When we played the spring game, the field looked decent but that was only rye grass. All of the Bermuda was gone, and that’s what the base of the field is.”
The LSU football indoor practice facility also received new turf.
The new surface, which is called Sportexe, was finished Thursday and replaced an outdated turf which had been in the indoor facility since its construction in 1992.
“The old artificial turf was carpet which was a half inch of stiff bristles,” Kershaw said. “The new turf is 2 inches tall and filled with rubber, which is a lot softer.”
Some LSU football players said they appreciate the new turf.
“The new turf will definitely help us out,” receiver Brandon LaFell said. “That old turf was bad for our knees. Running all of those comeback routes on that old turf had my big toe burning at the end of practice.”
The renovations on the west side of Tiger Stadium now include new seats being installed in the lower bowl.
The seats will rival those installed before last season on the east side and should cost about $1.1 million.
Other projects include a new softball stadium, which will be located near the Vet School, and a new baseball stadium.
Kershaw said the softball stadium will cost about $6 million to $9 million while the new baseball facility should cost about $19 million.
Both projects are scheduled to be completed by 2008.
 
Contact Jeff Martin at [email protected]