The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) announced that Sprinturf, the leading US manufacturer of synthetic turf systems, has been selected to build the replacement field at the College Football Hall of Fame’s Gridiron Plaza. Through its MBA (Marketing and Brand Awareness) program, Sprinturf will build a 45-yard football field valued at over $150,000 at no cost to the Hall.
“Sprinturf has an outstanding reputation with their innovative product design and market leadership,” said NFF Chairman Ron Johnson. “I want to thank them for recognizing the relevance of the College Football Hall of Fame brand to the entire football community. Our brand will allow them to connect with key audiences from coast-to-coast while our plaza will provide them with a great showcase for their product during the more than 200 Hall events each year.”
Headquartered outside of Philadelphia, PA, Sprinturf designed and developed the first vertically draining, all-rubber infill synthetic turf system. Today, the company manufactures, installs and services this patented product that looks, feels, and plays like natural grass but is safer and far more durable.
“Sprinturf is delighted to be associated with such a prestigious organization,” said Hank Julicher CEO of Sprinturf. “Through our MBA program we were able to provide this field at absolutely no cost to the College Football Hall of Fame. We are very excited to be able to showcase our revolutionary SandFree™ all-rubber system which more and more industry experts are recognizing as the cleanest, safest, most durable and highest performing system on the market.”
The project will commence today starting with the removal of the 11-year-old surface from the 19,000 square-foot Gridiron Plaza, which will be immediately followed by a ground breaking ceremony to signify the start of construction of Sprinturf’s SandFree™ system. The project makes Sprinturf the official and exclusive synthetic turf provider for the College Football Hall of Fame.
“Sprinturf not only provides the Hall of Fame with a new state-of-the-art Gridiron Plaza, but also presents numerous opportunities to market and promote the Hall and Sprinturf across the country,” said Hall of Fame executive director Rick Walls. “As one of the most visible and utilized segments of the Hall, the Plaza will be representative of what is used by many of America’s high schools and colleges.”
Since the Hall’s opening in 1995, the Gridiron Plaza has hosted countless events and served as a recreational area for Downtown South Bend patrons and residents. Events, many of which attract several thousand people, include local races, charity activities, university functions, coaching clinics, live concerts, tailgate parties and the Enshrinement Festival’s annual Youth Football Clinic and Celebrity Flag Football Game.
“The College Football Hall of Fame is one of our key venues and has been a major catalyst for new and creative development in South Bend,” said South Bend Mayor Stephen J. Luecke. “As a result of the City’s original investment in the Hall of Fame, South Bend has enjoyed a new era of growth in Downtown. I commend Rick Walls and his staff for their diligence in continuing to improve this facility and their efforts in building new partnerships to make this happen.”
Sprinturf has installed hundreds of synthetic surfaces around the country including; Auburn University, Ohio State, Utah State, St. John’s University, UCLA, the University of Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia Eagles and DC United just to mention a few. Sprinturf has also been recently named as the “Official Turf” of US Lacrosse and the United Soccer Leagues, the largest governing bodies of their respective sports.
Sprinturf is the leading US manufacturer and installer of synthetic turf systems for athletic fields as well as playgrounds, landscaping, golf greens and tees, and recreational areas. Sprinturf pioneered and installed the first successful all-rubber infill athletic fields and continues to hold important patents for all-rubber turf systems. For more information, visit www.sprinturf.com.
