The new FieldTurf CoolPlay, which will be installed at Arizona Stadium in winter 2013, will feature lettering of “Bear Down” across midfield, while the Pac-12 logos, situated at the 25-yard lines, will remain unchanged.
Compared to last season, the end zones will be shaded with navy blue, while retaining the red-lettered “Arizona” that spans the width of the field. The block “A” at midfield will be slightly bigger.
The new and innovative FieldTurf CoolPlay systems are designed to provide a cooler surface temperature as compared to traditional turfs with no compromise to the safety and performance of the fields. FieldTurf experimented for years to produce CoolPlay which is 35ºF cooler than traditional sand / rubber infill systems. The company started out testing all known products and components that have been touted as heat reducers for infilled turf fields.
Cork was found to be the best of both worlds – a material proven to absorb less heat and also provide shock absorbent characteristics. The CoolPlay system was the only combination that reduced heat while still meeting all requirements for what is considered to be a high performance surface.
FieldTurf developed a special cork top dressing that would replace the top layer of crumb rubber in the FieldTurf patented three-layer infill system, to form the FieldTurf CoolPlay system. The cork used in the CoolPlay system as a top layer of infill is durable, shock absorbing and absorbs far less heat than other alternatives. The many layers of cryogenic rubber and silica sand still form the majority of the infill in the CoolPlay system in order to contribute to the same Elite level performance.
With the installation of the artificial turf taking place, The Arizona Wildcats will play their spring game on 13 April 2013 at Sancet/Kindall Stadium.
