Sept. 29, 2005
Contact: Brian McCann
After undergoing nearly $3 million in renovations over the last year, CSU's Krenzler Field will be officially rededicated prior to the home doubleheader on Sunday (Oct. 2). The CSU women's team will host UW-Green Bay at 12:30 p.m. followed by the Viking men against Butler at 3:00 p.m.
Judge Alvin Krenzler, for whom the facility was named when it opened in 1985, university president Dr. Michael Schwartz and soccer alumni from both programs are expected to take part in the day-long festivities.
The renovations made to Krenzler Field consisted of two major projects, each of which has dramatically improved the athletic physical plant. The natural grass playing surface was removed in favor of a state-of-the-art Field Turf artificial surface.
The second change won't be visible until November when a removable air-supported dome is placed over the field, creating an indoor practice facility for all sports during the winter months.
"The enhancements that have been made to Krenzler Field show the vision that Dr. Schwartz and the Board of Trustees have for the campus," CSU Director of Athletics Lee Reed said. "We have taken what was already one of the top soccer facilities in the midwest and improved it so that it could meet the ever-changing needs of our student-athletes and the CSU community.
"The addition of women's soccer last year and the increased scheduling demands on Krenzler Field that came with it made Krenzler's natural grass field obsolete. The new FieldTurf surface affords our men's and women's programs a facility that 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 turns Krenzler Field into an indoor practice facility during the winter months that will benefit all of our student-athletes and the entire university community," Reed added.
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 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.
The anchoring system and foundation of the dome is complete, making it a simple task to inflate the dome later this fall once the soccer season is over. When inflated, it 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.
Built at an original cost of $1.9 million, Krenzler Field became the first university outdoor athletic venue when is was dedicated on October 18, 1985.
Krenzler Field is named in honor of Judge Alvin I. Krenzler, a long time supporter of the university who served on the CSU Board of Trustees from July of 1967 until August of 1970 when he became judge of the Eight District Court of Appeals. He retired as judge of the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio in 1992.
