Aug. 23, 2004

Contact: Brian McCann

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Krenzler Field, which has served as the home for Cleveland State soccer since 1985, will undergo renovations over the course of the next six months to convert it to a facility capable of hosting events year round. Planned improvements include the addition of an all-purpose FieldTurf playing surface and a removable air-supported dome that will cover it during the winter months. Work on the $2.2 million project will begin immediately. The playing surface is expected to be completed in early October with the dome being completed by December. "The renovations that are scheduled for Krenzler Field are the first in a series of improvements to our athletic facilities that are planned over the next decade," CSU Director of Athletics Lee Reed said. "The addition of women's soccer this fall and the increased scheduling demands on Krenzler Field that will come with it made Krenzler's current natural grass field obsolete. The new FieldTurf surface will afford our men's and women's programs a facility that will meet our needs year round. We will no longer need to limit Krenzler's use out of concern for the wear and tear on the grass field." "The addition of the dome shows the vision that President (Michael) Schwartz and the university administration have for the campus. Not only will all of our athletic programs benefit from the conversion of Krenzler Field to an indoor practice facility during the winter months, but the CSU community will also be able to take advantage of it." FieldTurf, a revolutionary playing surface that combines the properties of natural grass with the durability of artificial turf, has been installed on almost 1,000 playing surfaces in 20 countries around the world. It is currently in use in over half of the National Football League stadiums and by almost 50 NCAA Division I institutions. It has been approved for play by FIFA, the world governing body for soccer, with some of the top professional teams around the world currently practicing and playing on it. FieldTurf is the result of years of research - evident in the patented FieldTurf infill mix of silica sand and cryogenic rubber and patented layering process that deliver a system that emulates natural grass. Additional benefits are found in improved player safety, reduced maintenance costs and flexibility for conversion, allowing stadium managers to quickly change the field from one sport to another or to easily host a variety of sporting events, concerts and other special events directly on top of the FieldTurf surface. The removable dome, a product of Yeadon Domes, will cover the entire length of Krenzler Field, approximately 94,000 square feet, with a 60-foot ceiling. It will be made of a heavy-duty vinyl coated flame-resistant polyester architectural fabric. With over 25 years of experience building air-supported dome structures, Yeadon Domes has constructed over 700 domes that are in use in the United States, Canada and seven other countries. The construction timetable for renovations to Krenzler Field have led to an adjustment to the practice and playing schedule for both the men's and women's soccer teams until the FieldTurf surface is complete in early October. The women's soccer team will play the first four home games of the 2004 schedule at Foltz Field in Strongsville while the men's team will play its first three home contests at Mentor High School. In addition, both teams will move the majority of their preseason practices off-campus. 2004 CSU Women's Soccer
Home Schedule Changes
Matches To Be Played At Strongsville's Foltz Field
Aug. 27 Kent State, 7:00 p.m.
Sept. 5 Duquesne, 7:00 p.m.
Sept. 10 South Alabama, 5:00 p.m.
Sept. 12 IUPUI, 12 Noon
The women's team will hold all remaining preseason practices at Foltz Field in Strongsville
2004 CSU Men's Soccer
Home Schedule Changes
Matches To Be Played At Mentor High School
Sept. 15 Duquesne, 7:00 p.m.
Sept. 29 Niagara, 7:00 p.m.
Matches To Be Played At A Site TBA
Sept. 24 Xavier, 7:00 p.m.
The men's soccer squad has moved afternoon preseason practices to Lost Nation Field in Mentor.