BACK TO SCHOOL ISSUE

The Board of Regents has recently requested that approval of a new AstroTurf surface for Huskie Stadium be deferred until other alternatives are investigated.

James Harder, Vice President of Business and Operations, said one option may be grass. Until there is a further study, Harder estimated the cost of AstroTurf around $600,000. The decision to push back the approval has no effect on the 1988 football season, because the surface would not have been replaced until June or July of 1989.

Head football coach Jerry Pettibone said he understands the need to study new turfs and their benefits and added that the field is fine for “our purposes unless it gets wet. The bristles don’t stick up when wet, and with our offense we slip if it is not dry,” Pettibone said.

Because there are so many other Huskie events and organizations which use the field, Pettibone said he believes artificial turf is the best.

“The weather in this part of the country is a factor,” Pettibone said. “With the rain and the cold, artificial turf enables us to practice and play our best. With so many other activities, it would not be suitable for us to have grass.”