MOBILE, Ala. — Ladd-Peebles Stadium will have a new artificial playing surface in place before South Alabama opens its 2013 football season on Aug. 29, after the Mobile City Council unanimously approved a $311,168 contract with FieldTurf to replace the stadium’s aging turf.
Work is scheduled to begin May 21 and be finished in July.
Replacing an Aging Field
Mobile City Attorney Larry Wettermark estimated the current surface is eight to 10 years old and nearing the end of its useful life. Wettermark said he was concerned that an injury to a Senior Bowl player caused by a worn field could put the event’s future in Mobile at risk.
The city will pay for the project from its capital escrow account, one of the accounts funded by the penny sales tax the City Council approved last October.
Low Bid Accepted
FieldTurf submitted the lowest bid. Its proposal included a base bid of $295,168, plus $6,000 to maintain certain field equipment and $10,000 in contingency funds. Hellas Sports Construction bid $343,435.
Wettermark said the two bidders’ products were of equal quality and that the city’s recommendation was to accept the low bid. The contract carries an eight-year warranty covering defects in materials and workmanship.
FieldTurf has acknowledged recent problems with turf degradation and has replaced some fields around the country, including in Florida. The company has attributed the issue to a supply of defective fiber. The council did not discuss those problems during its meeting.
New Goal Posts and Field Markings
The contract also includes two new goal posts, which will be paid for by the Ladd-Peebles Stadium Board. Wettermark introduced that expense for the first time at the council meeting, saying the timing was important because of the short window before the Jaguars’ season begins.
City Council President Reggie Copeland said his main concern was that the new field meet NFL requirements for the Senior Bowl, with striping that serves the Senior Bowl, South Alabama and the GoDaddy.com Bowl. Copeland also said that with proper maintenance using the included equipment, the new surface should last longer than the previous installation.
Ladd-Peebles Stadium has been South Alabama’s home field since the program began play in 2009. The Jaguars compete in the Sun Belt Conference.
