Aug. 29, 2006

EASTON, Pa. - With the Lafayette football home opener just over two weeks away, the $23 million transformation of Fisher Field continues. On Tuesday, Aug. 29, a crew began installing the new FieldTurf playing surface.

The turf, which already contains yardlines, is rolled out and then sewn together 10 yards at a time. School logos and hash marks will be sewn in near the end of the installation process. Each 10 yard piece of turf alternates between a dark green and light green with the final product looking similar to the home fields of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts and the University of Oregon.

Work continues on the home and visiting bleachers that will seat 13,132 patrons for the 2006 football season. The 500 new chairback seats are also ready to be installed atop the home stands. That side of Fisher Field will feature new bathrooms and concessions along the upper concourse along with a press box. The middle course, the area located underneath the home stands, will also have bathrooms and vending areas.

The field lighting was installed on August 25, paving the way for night games in upcoming seasons. Fisher Field will host five Lafayette home games in 2006, all afternoon affairs, as well as the 100th meeting between Easton and Phillipsburg on Thanksgiving Day in front of a national television audience on ESPN2. The Leopards will close their home schedule with the 142nd renewal of the nation's most-played college football rivalry on Saturday, Nov. 18. Lafayette won the 2005 Patriot League championship by virtue of its 23-19 win over Lehigh.

The Leopards open the season with two road games, at Sacred Heart on Saturday, Sept. 2 and at Bucknell on Sept. 9, before playing their first home game on Sept. 16 against Penn.