When the Auburn Tigers run out onto Pat Dye Field this coming season there will be one noticeable change to the grass under their cleats, according to an Auburn University Athletics Department official.
“Coach Harsin is committed to changing every aspect of this program’s culture for the better,” the official told Yellowhammer News. “In his view, there is no detail too small, and he thinks each contributes to building a culture of winning.”
Which is why Harsin is directing his attention to Auburn’s most recognizable facility at the conclusion of his team’s spring practice.
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“It’s what’s been so impressive the last few months,” he remarked. “He’s brought the Boise Way to Auburn and adapted his approach to fit our traditions. The turf is the next step in the process.”
While Harsin’s inclusion of “the turf” in his approach to building a winning program may have originated during his time at Boise, its existence is actually the result of years of research through the university’s Plant Production and Management Systems, a program within the College of Agriculture.
“We kicked around the idea of a naturally-grown blue field all the way back when Tommy first got here,” he stated.
Tommy Tuberville is now a U.S. Senator, and Jordan-Hare Stadium will finally have its dark blue grass when the Tigers take on the Akron Zips on September 4.
Auburn’s new look will join Boise’s bright blue turf and Eastern Washington’s red turf field among college football’s unique venues.
However, unlike those fields, Auburn will play on a first-of-its-kind natural surface.
“Credit to our ag folks as much as anyone,” outlined the official. “It really has been an amazing piece of engineering to get just the right color and add it to a sturdy turf which can withstand the rigors of an SEC season. This isn’t like the PAC-12 or the ACC where they’re out there tip-toeing around. We dig in and get after it in this conference.”
The upgrade to a blue field will require at least one adjustment to Auburn’s gameday traditions.
Officials will roll out a large net across the field right before Aurea makes her stunning flight prior to kickoff. This is designed as a protective measure for the university’s seven-year-old golden eagle, as geese and ducks have been known to dive at Boise’s blue turf thinking it was a body of water. Those confused attempts frequently result in broken necks and death for the birds.
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A formal announcement is planned as part of Auburn’s “A Day” festivities on April 17. Crews will begin installing the new blue grass immediately after the spring game, and fans will be invited to stay and witness the historic conversion.
The Auburn Family will also be able to purchase pieces of the old turf at an auction prior to the Auburn baseball game against Samford on April 20. All proceeds from the auction will go toward the department’s facilities fund.
