Fire up the FieldTurf
The Tar Heels began grilling, er, practicing Friday afternoon at the on-campus Navy fields in 95-degree heat. On one field, the thermometer registered between 115-120 degrees. That's because UNC has a new FieldTurf synthetic-grass field thanks to a $1 million renovation project. According to assistant coach Ken Browning, they're still looking for how best to water the turf to cool it before practices.
The Heels' defense will mostly practice on the new turf, while the offense uses the adjacent natural-grass field. The Heels also can practice on AstroTurf.
As for the FieldTurf, it looks and feels like real grass, it just doesn't smell like it and, because of the rubberized base, it traps the heat very well. That's brutal on days like Friday, when players practiced in shorts and helmets (but not yet in pads).
The upside comes late in the season when temperatures drop near or below freezing. Whereas the practice fields generally turned to dust bowls by late November, the new turf holds up nicely to abuse and cold weather.
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