Staff Editorial: New Sprinturf on Franklin Field a welcome change

Franklin Field is historic by any standard. The oldest still-operating football stadium, the home of the first scoreboard and the site of the first televised football game, Franklin Field offers the Penn community a great source of pride. However, the field's turf should not aim to rival the structure's age, and finally the carpet-like Astroturf is being replaced.

Replacing Franklin Field's worn-out turf is a welcome, if overdue, change. A variation of the Sprinturf system that is used by the Eagles at their indoor practice facility, Franklin Field is finally receiving a state-of-the-art field. While the just-discarded turf was the fifth Astroturf installed since 1970, this surface is entirely different.The new playing surface will look, feel and behave far more like actual grass than does the often unforgiving Astroturf.

This is important for several reasons. First, the stadium not only hosts the home games of three Penn sports -- football, lacrosse, and field hockey -- but also is home to an international track and field competition, the Penn Relays. The relays offer powerful public relations and recruiting tools when they are held and televised nationally each year, and the superior aesthetics of the new field will aid the University in that effort.

Second, and more importantly, the turf is not just playing surface, but is also safety equipment. Astroturf's poor cushioning and rough surface have increased injuries to players nearly everywhere it is found. The existing turf has been in place for 10 years, and that the University "got a few extra years" out of the old surface only compounded the safety problems that Astroturf presents. The physical safety of athletes should be high on Penn's list of concerns, and it is good to see the installation of a turf that, at last, properly reflects that priority.

Finally, at a time when Philadelphia has seen the construction of two new stadiums, it is good to see Penn keeping up. Along with the installation of a playing surface in Franklin Field on par with the turf at professional facilities, Penn looks forward to the construction of new sporting venues on the recently acquired postal lands. Keeping our athletes safe while maintaing the durability of our playing surface is as good an investment for future sucess as any.

Penn's strong school spirit comes, in part, from athletic success. Adding another chapter to that long tradition was the right decision for the University, for its athletes and for the Penn community.

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