Utah Utes football: New FieldTurf for Utah stadium should boost 'wow' factor

Rice-Eccles Stadium is getting an upgrade — and a significant one at that. Crews are busy installing new FieldTurf, which will give the Utah football program a state-of-the-art playing surface.

Decked vibrantly in school colors, which are inlaid into the turf instead of painted, the field features red end zones and a block "U" at midfield. All numbers and lettering are trimmed with white or black. "Utah" is written in both end zones and two Mountain West Conference logos are also on the field.

Mark Burk, director of stadium and arena event services for the university, said the turf replacement was necessary after sharing the field for four years with Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer.

"We had some paint removal lines on it and we were ready for a new generation," said Burk, who added that the upgrade was also in appreciation of the football program doing so well in recent years.

The Utes were the nation's only undefeated team last season and finished No. 2 in the final Associated Press rankings.

"I think it goes hand-in-hand. It's exciting to see the progress of our team and also to make sure Rice-Eccles Stadium stays top-notch," said Utah athletics director Chris Hill. "I think this helps do that."

The $770,000 turf replacement project began on May 18 and is expected to be completed by the end of June.

"It's without question a great addition to the stadium," said Utah head football coach Kyle Whittingham, who noted that the old field had run its course and is being replaced by a cutting-edge surface.

FieldTurf officials have told both Burk and athletic department events coordinator Steve Pyne that the project is "one of the very best" installations in company history. The attention to detail, Burk said, will remind stadium patrons that they are truly "Entering the Red Zone" when the Utes play.

"We decided to go with it and really make a statement," he said.

Utah, which has used FieldTurf since 2002, is one of 50 college programs to play on the synthetic surface. A majority of NFL teams also use the product on their practice or stadium fields.

The Utes' new turf is expected to last 15 years, and the colors are designed not to fade. Hill said a good portion of the funds needed to replace the field came from proceeds generated through hosting RSL soccer games.