Besides coming off its surprisingly successful 7-3 season and second-place finish in the Ivy League, the Princeton football team received one more gift before the end of the year: FieldTurf in Princeton Stadium.
Installation commenced shortly following the football team's 2005 campaign, and the new surface is now ready for play. The FieldTurf project was largely facilitated by the University, the Athletic Department and Director of Athletics Gary Walters, the Princeton Football Association (PFA), and Bill Powers '79.
"Everyone at FieldTurf is pumped up about being associated with Princeton and the Ivy League," FieldTurf CEO John Gilman said. "Of course, Princeton fielded one of the first teams in the history of college football, so to partner with their program on this project is an extra thrill. I want to personally thank Gary Walters and Coach [Roger] Hughes for their confidence in our product. We won't let them down."
As one of college football's most historic programs, Princeton continued its tradition as a frontrunner by switching from grass to one of the highest-quality new artificial turfs. Currently, FieldTurf is the worldwide leader in the artificial turf industry, and more than 25 NCAA Division I-A football programs are using it. Nebraska, Michigan, Wisconsin, Oregon, Washington, Kansas State, Boston College, and Missouri have all subscribed to the technology.
FieldTurf boasts a patented infill mix of silica sand and cryogenic rubber and a patented layering system that mimics natural grass. Besides being aesthetically pleasing, FieldTurf is more athlete friendly from an injury perspective. It also reduces maintenance costs and improves the field's ability to be used for other sports, concerts, and special events.
Furthermore, FieldTurf represents a major improvement over AstroTurf, which was not very popular among NFL players and often became slippery when wet.
Besides college programs, FieldTurf has become widely used among professional sports teams. It has become extremely popular with the National Football League, as 23 of 32 NFL teams currently have FieldTurf at their stadiums and/or practice fields. FieldTurf ranked favorably in a recent survey conducted by the NFL Players Association, with NFL players rating FieldTurf ahead of 15 of the league's 19 natural grass fields.
Additionally, FieldTurf can be found in three Major League Baseball stadiums, and it was the first artificial turf product to be approved by FIFA (the soccer world's governing body) for World Cup use. All told, over 1400 FieldTurf installations in 40 countries have occurred in the last few years.
The new turf will make the 27,800-seat Princeton Stadium, opened in 1998, a truly first-rate facility. Princeton is the first Ivy League school to make the switch from grass to turf. Two of the Tigers three losses this past season came during adverse weather conditions playing on a muddy grass field. The new turf eliminate this problem.
The new FieldTurf will first see competition on September 23 when Princeton will take on its usual opening opponent, Lafayette.
Read More
Daily Newsletter: January 5, 2026
Ryan ChoePrinceton releases additional FAQs regarding recording policy: Your Daily ‘Prince’ briefing
Princeton releases additional FAQs regarding recording policy: Your Daily ‘Prince’ briefing
PAW omits reporter’s Supreme Court appeal — at the cost of journalistic principle
Laurel Leff and Jon OrtBy publishing Sittenfeld’s profile of Park without noting his interests before the Supreme Court, PAW neglected its journalistic duty to alert its readers when a writer cannot fairly cover a story.
By publishing Sittenfeld’s profile of Park without noting his interests before the Supreme Court, PAW neglected its journalistic duty to alert its readers when a writer cannot fairly cover a story.
Newly released FAQs on U. recording policy, explained
Luke GrippoThe University released FAQs clarifying a newly implemented policy banning recordings in “private” meetings.
The University released FAQs clarifying a newly implemented policy banning recordings in “private” meetings.