North Dakota State Wins National Championship,Gets Ready For 2012 on New AstroTurf® Field

FARGO, N.D. – On Jan. 7, the North Dakota State University Bison football team brought home the Division I Football Championship Series (FCS) National Championship.

Now, they will begin winter preparations for next season and another national championship run on an all new AstroTurf® infilled Magic Carpet™ II field at the Fargodome.

The Bison, who had to rebuild after 6-5 and 3-8 records in 2008-09, ran their record to 9-5 in 2010 and finished the season ranked number three.  This year, with a strong team, the Bison were 14-1 in their return to national prominence.  Their last national championship came at the Division II level in 1990.

The Bison put up a record of 14-1 on their way to defeating Sam Houston State University in the championship game in Frisco, Texas.

Officials at North Dakota State hope to capitalize on the momentum by installing a state-of-the-art, fully removable Magic Carpet™ II system, including AstroTurf®’s GameDay Grass™ 3D60 infilled turf.

“This is the beginning piece of what is becoming the largest and best collection of indoor event facilities between Minneapolis and Seattle,” said NDSU President Dean Bresciani at the press conference announcing the facility upgrades.

Preparation work has begun and the field installation is scheduled to be complete in June.  The field, though, will be utilized by more than just NDSU’s football team.

Fargodome officials estimated that more than 125 events take place on the current playing surface, including half a dozen NDSU home football games, over 40 practices, over 20 high school football games, nearly 35 youth football games, as well as winter practices for baseball and softball teams from NDSU and area high schools.

The Magic Carpet™ II system uses a series of air jets in the floor on which the entire AstroTurf® field “floats” as it is unrolled from or rolled up onto a huge steel core that lowers into a covered pit.  Because the process is fully automatic and takes less than an hour for complete conversion, it helps facilities increase revenue and decrease labor costs by allowing more events.  It also keeps field performance and aesthetics at the highest level for years as the field is fully protected rolled up in the pit.

The turf will be AstroTurf® GameDay Grass™ 3D.  The field also has a face weight of 60 ounces of fiber per square yard, the highest in the industry.  This adds to the durability provided by the fiber.  Most importantly, the Magic Carpet™ II system has been redesigned to allow for new generation rubber infilled turf systems.  This means the NDSU players will play on a grass-like surface and not a “rug”.

In extensive testing, AstroTurf® GameDay Grass™ systems perform most like natural grass from ball roll, to slide resistance, to the biomechanical function of cleats penetrating and releasing properly.  A study at Michigan State University, funded by NFL Charities, found that AstroTurf® GameDay Grass™ systems looked and performed more like natural grass than any other synthetic product measured, also making it the safest option.

The field also has RootZone®, a thatch layer which holds the rubber infill in place for less splash and migration, making for a more consistent playing surface.

The Edward Jones Dome plays host to the St. Louis Rams and has a Magic Carpet™ II system.  NDSU and Fargodome officials looked at this facility in the process. 

“When we were at St. Louis, Craig Bohl was raving about the facility and the turf,” said NDSU Athletic Director Gene Taylor.

Bohl, the head football coach of the Bison, said the improvements will give them one of the “top, premium game day facilities in the country.”  Of the AstroTurf®, he said, “It’s truly a great surface.”  He also said that they had talked with NFL and college players in doing research for a field surface.

Bohl said that he is excited about his team playing on the new field, but he is equally excited about the opportunities for youth and high school players to be able to play on the field. In the future, this could provide an edge in recruiting, which could help the Bison returen to the national championship game in years to come.

About AstroTurf®

For athletes and sport enthusiasts, AstroTurf® has redefined the way the game is played. The company offers advanced, state-of-the-art, multi-sport and specialized synthetic turf systems with proprietary engineered technologies, leveraging the industry’s first vertically integrated manufacturing system. A growing number of high schools, colleges, professional sports teams and municipalities continue to select AstroTurf®-branded products for their premium quality, technical superiority and safety.