The annual Independence Bowl post-season college football game will now be played on FieldTurf, which is touted as the world’s safest and highest performing artificial turf system.
Formerly known as State Fair Stadium, Independence Stadium owned by the City of Shreveport, is also host to numerous high school football games and soccer matches, since many schools in Shreveport lack an on-campus facility. Independence Stadium hosted the LHSAA state football championships in 2005 after the Louisiana Superdome suffered damage from Hurricane Katrina.
FieldTurf Tarkett, a sports surfacing company based in Canada makes and installs FieldTurf, an infill-based artificial turf made of ground rubber, synthetic fibers of polyethylene and polypropylene, and sand. FieldTurf can be found on football, soccer, baseball, lacrosse, and rugby fields in more than 45 countries. The fibers are meant to replicate blades of grass, while the infill acts as a cushion improving safety.
FieldTurf synthetic turf offers a lot of benefits to its users such as reduced water consumption, the elimination of fertilizer and pesticides, durability and drainage and a product that looks and feels real. The positive environmental impact of FieldTurf provides the added benefit of LEED building contributions.