U of G Opens New Varsity Field
August 17, 2010 - Campus Bulletin
The University of Guelph today opened its newly constructed Varsity Field, the University's first outdoor synthetic turf field.
"Now our student-athletes can pride themselves on having a field that is the best of the best," said Tom Kendall, director of athletics. "This field will help propel many of our varsity teams at the University of Guelph to new heights."
The $1.8-million-dollar field is located across from Alumni House at the east end of campus. The turf is supported by a multi-flow drainage system encased in 10 inches of granular and topped with a layer of rubberized asphalt to give even more resiliency to the surface.
The new field will be home to field hockey, football, soccer and rugby teams for practices. The field hockey and rugby teams will also play their varsity league games on the field starting in September, and U of G will host the 2010 Canadian Interuniversity Sport field hockey championships there in November.
Varsity Field will also be used for intramural sports and will be open to the public for rental opportunities.
“This represents an extraordinary step forward for Guelph’s already outstanding athletics program,” Kendall said. “The state-of-the-art field will allow us to continue to attract student-athletes of the highest calibre, host a broader range of post-season events and create new opportunities to connect with the Guelph community.”
The field is part of U of G's athletics facility master plan, which includes additional synthetic turf fields, construction and renovation of a student fitness and recreation complex, and renovations to Alumni Stadium.
