HACKENSACK, NJ - The Fairleigh Dickinson University men's and women's soccer teams will have a new surface to play on at University Stadium this fall as installation of FieldTurf is underway. The project is scheduled to be completed in September. University Stadium has played host to NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament First Round games in each of the last two seasons as well as the ECAC Women's Soccer Tournament semifinals last year.

"The teams are very excited and we're all very thankful to Joe Kiernan [Metropolitan Campus Provost], Rich Panicucci [NCAA Athletics Faculty Representative], Carl Viola [Executive Vice President] and Sheldon Drucker [Senior Vice President for Finance and Treasury]," said Director of Athletics David Langford. "They were very instrumental in finding a creative way to finance this project and it illustrates the University's commitment to athletics and recreation."

FieldTurf is the combination of a mix of silica sand and cryogenic rubber in a patented layering process that delivers a system that emulates natural grass. Additional benefits include improved player safety, reduced maintenance costs and flexibility for conversion to quickly change the field from one sport to another or to easily host a variety of sporting events, concerts and other special events directly on top of the FieldTurf surface.

"FieldTurf is a wonderful product that will now give us a facility that will be available not just for varsity athletics, but also for club sports, student recreation and the local community," said Langord. "We are extremely grateful to the Township of Teaneck. They were very cooperative and helped us start the project on time."