James Madison Football’s Zane Showker Field to be Replaced for 2019

HARRISONBURG, Va. – James Madison football will have a fresh competition surface for 2019 as Bridgeforth Stadium's Zane Showker Field will be replaced with a new FieldTurf synthetic system accompanied by a new design.

"We are excited to bring a new look and feel to Bridgeforth Stadium in 2019," JMU Director of Athletics Jeff Bourne said. "There are several factors behind this turf upgrade, most importantly the well-being and maximized performance of our student-athletes. As a result of the full scope of activities that occur in Bridgeforth Stadium, there has been significant wear and tear on the Zane Showker Field surface. This will place our student-athletes in a better position to succeed in preparation and performance while also adding an updated, aesthetically-pleasing branded look to our facility."

Carolina Green Corp. will serve as the general contractor to install the new FieldTurf surface. The FieldTurf Revolution 360 has been an industry leader in synthetic surfaces as the choice of more than 300 professional and collegiate organizations in North America. It features optimal durability, resilience and feel to maximize athletic performance and safety. The Revolution 360 product is a newer generation of the original FieldTurf Revolution turf previously installed in Bridgeforth Stadium.

The new design prominently features aspects of the new JMU Athletics brand program launched in January of 2017. The primary "JMU" Athletics logo resides at midfield while the horizontal "James Madison" wordmark fills the purple end zones, identical to the same end zone design featured in both national championship appearances in Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas in 2017 and 2018. The design also includes a wider purple border around the field compared to the current layout, additional gold and white striped boxes in the team bench areas, the "Dukes" wordmark in the bench areas and a more prominent display of the "Zane Showker Field" designation on opposite corners of the sidelines.

"JMU invests in its student-athletes and in its facilities," Football Head Coach Curt Cignetti said. "That has been clear since before I arrived and this project is a testament to that approach. Everything about JMU is first class, and that includes this new surface installation. Our student-athletes look forward to a new competitive experience this fall."

The two-month installation of the new surface will begin on May 6, immediately following university commencement in Bridgeforth Stadium. Carolina Green's other projects with JMU Athletics have included: field hockey's Desso Sportillux MF Turf system, the softball Desso iDNA X outfield turf and bullpen areas, the Hilltopper infield system at softball and the recent renovation to the softball practice field adjacent to Veterans Memorial Park. They have also completed multiple campus recreation projects.

Carolina Green will also be installing a new turf for Eagle Field at Veterans Memorial Park prior to the 2020 season. More information on that project will be shared at a later time.

JMU football's first contest on the new turf will be Saturday, September 7 when the Dukes host Saint Francis at 6 p.m. Season tickets for the 2019 JMU football season, presented by CarMax, are on sale now and can be purchased online, by calling 540-568-3853 or by visiting the JMU Athletics Ticket Office inside the Convocation Center. May 15 is the priority deadline for ticket orders and Duke Club donations.

More on FieldTurf's Revolution 360 product:
https://fieldturf.com/en/articles/detail/revolution-360-the-journey-to-becoming-the-most-popular-artificial-turf-system/

More on Carolina Green:
http://www.cgcfields.com/index.asp

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