CALIFORNIA (CIF) STATE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP BOWL GAMES TO BE PLAYED ON ASTROTURF

(CARSON, California) - Earlier this month, the NFL Players Association announced that AEG Facilities’ The Home Depot Center in Carson, will host the inaugural AstroTurf NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, a college football all-star game.

AstroTurf, the inventor of synthetic turf, will install a brand new synthetic surface for the game, which will be removed and sold following the game. In planning for the event, AstroTurf and The Home Depot Center arranged the installation of the field prior to the CIF State Football Championship Bowl Games.

“We’re excited that the CIF State Football Championship Bowl Games will be played on AstroTurf, and look forward to hosting high school and collegiate athletes on our playing surface, which is considered to be the finest synthetic surface in the world,” said Bryan Peeples, President of AstroTurf.

This year’s state championship games are scheduled for December 16-17. The Home Depot Center’s sod removal began last week, and the installation of the new AstroTurf field will be complete by December 10th.

“This marks the first time in our facility’s history that synthetic turf has been installed in our stadium, and through our partnership with AstroTurf and the NFLPA, we’re pleased to be able to offer a state-of-the-art artificial field for the high school athletes playing in the CIF State Football Championship Bowl Games this month,” said Kyle Waters, Vice President of Events and Operations at The Home Depot Center.

“We appreciate the efforts of AstroTurf and The Home Depot Center in enhancing the CIF State Football Championship Bowl Games experience,” said Marie Ishida, Executive Director of the CIF. “Knowing that our student-athletes will have the opportunity to compete on a top-of-the-line field surface, makes for a great championship environment.”

The field surface will be the all new AstroTurf GameDay Grass 3D60 Extreme. The field combines a monofilament Horseshoe fiber with a slit film product. The Horseshoe fiber has an Omega-shape, which is more resilient and bounces back, staying upright longer. It also reflects less light and heat. The slit film offers the ultimate in durability.

The field also has a face weight of 60 ounces of fiber per square yard, the highest in the industry. This adds to the durability provided by the fiber shape.

In extensive testing, AstroTurf GameDay Grass systems perform most like natural grass from ball roll, to slide resistance, to the biomechanical function of cleats penetrating and releasing properly. A study at Michigan State University, funded by NFL Charities, found that AstroTurf GameDay Grass systems looked and performed more like natural grass than any other synthetic product measured, also making it the safest option.

The field features AstroFlect heat reduction technology, which can lower surface temperatures by as much as 18%.

The field also has RootZone, a thatch layer which holds the sand and rubber infill in place for less splash and migration, making for a more consistent playing surface.

The AstroTurf will be filled with approximately 325,000 pounds of a manufacturer’s blend of silica sand and ambient rubber. The AstroTurf surface will cover about 81,000 square feet.

The CIF State Championships begin Friday, December 16th. The Division IV game will start at 4:00 p.m. and will be followed by the Division I game at 8:00 p.m.

There will be three games on Saturday, December 17th. The Division III game kicks off at noon and will be followed by the Division II game at 4:00 p.m. The final game of the event will determine the Open Division state champion at 8:00 p.m.

The AstroTurf NFLPA Collegiate Bowl will be held on Saturday, January 21st. Tickets for the CIF State Football Championship Bowl Games and the AstroTurf NFLPA Collegiate Bowl are available now at www.homedepotcenter.com.


About AstroTurf
For athletes and sport enthusiasts, AstroTurf has redefined the way the game is played. The company offers advanced, state-of-the-art, multi-sport and specialized synthetic turf systems with proprietary engineered technologies, leveraging the industry’s first vertically integrated manufacturing system. A growing number of high schools, colleges, professional sports teams and municipalities continue to select AstroTurf-branded products for their premium quality, technical superiority, and safety. To learn more, visit www.astroturfusa.com.

ASTROTURF NFLPA COLLEGIATE BOWL COMING TO LA

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today the NFL Players Association unveiled its plans to host Southern California’s premier football event – The AstroTurf NFLPA Collegiate Bowl.

The AstroTurf NFLPA Collegiate Bowl will be held January 21 at the Home Depot Center on the campus of California State University Dominguez Hills in Carson, Calif. Under the direction of Super Bowl-winning coaches Tom Flores and Dick Vermeil, 100 of the country’s top draft prospects will showcase their talent in front of 25,000 fans and pro scouts.

However, the AstroTurf NFLPA Collegiate Bowl experience is much more than a game for participating players.

“Our mission is to provide these young men with an unforgettable all-star game experience but just as importantly with invaluable information for their transition out of college,” said Clark Gaines, NFLPA Assistant Executive Director. “The NFLPA is a player’s primary resource for information on the business of football, and we will educate these players on how to succeed in the NFL and in their post-football careers.”

For one week preceding the AstroTurf NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, pro-football players and coaching legends will work with the game’s future stars, giving them first-hand insight on what it takes to win on and off of the field. Flores and Vermeil will provide the players with elite-level practices and playbooks and the players will interact with the community through youth clinics and more.

Tickets are on sale now and start at $15. Visit Ticketmaster.com or HomeDepotCenter.com.

For the latest news on the AstroTurf NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, follow twitter.com/NFLPABowl and facebook.com/NFLPACollegiateBowl.

Read more on ESPN.com: http://es.pn/vAm3TJ
https://www.nflplayers.com/Articles/Press-Releases/AstroTurf-NFLPA-Collegiate-Bowl-Announced/

JOSE BAUTISTA'S PLAY ON ASTROTURF RESULTS IN SECOND SILVER SLUGGER AWARD

(TORONTO) - It looks like Jose Bautista has found a home on the AstroTurf in right field for the Toronto Blue Jays. It also looks like he’s found his second consecutive Silver Slugger Award, given to the best offensive player at each position.

Bautista, from the Dominican Republic, has been in the big leagues since 2004, when he was on the rosters of four different teams. Since then, he has played six different positions.

2010 became a true breakout year for Bautista. Playing right field full time, Bautista belted a league-leading 54 home runs, making him the 26th member of the 50 home run club. He was selected to the All Star team and won the Hank Aaron Award and the Silver Slugger Award.

Bautista was just as impressive in 2011. He hit 43 home runs and became the first player since Mark McGwire (1998-99) to lead the lead in home runs over two consecutive years. In July, he set a record for the most All Star votes ever for a single player, with 7,454,753. That surpassed the previous record set in 1994 by Ken Griffey, Jr.

Yesterday, the league announced that Bautista was a recipient of the Silver Slugger Award for the second consecutive year. He also won a second consecutive Hank Aaron Award for his efforts this season.

Bautista’s coming into his own has paid off in handsome dividends for the slugger. The Blue Jays, in order to make sure he is still playing on the AstroTurf in the Rogers Centre, awarded him with a new contract this past February. The deal extended his contract for five seasons and was valued at $64 million.

The Toronto Blue Jays and the Tampa Bay Rays are the two Major League Baseball teams which play on AstroTurf GameDay Grass 3D systems. AstroTurf is The Official Synthetic Turf of Major League Baseball.

AstroTurf is becoming more widely used in baseball due to the realistic, grass-like looks and performance it provides players and teams. Recently, many college programs have added AstroTurf baseball fields, including Kansas, Kansas State, Wichita State, Ohio State, Duke, and Wake Forest. The Virginia Tech Hokies are currently installing a new AstroTurf playing surface.

“Jose Bautista is one of the most exciting players in the game and we’re proud that he plays on a great surface like AstroTurf,” said Bryan Peeples, president of AstroTurf. “We are also proud that so many players who will have an impact in the future are able to play on our fields, as more and more teams make the change.”

About AstroTurf
For many athletes and sport enthusiasts, the AstroTurf brand has redefined the way the game is played. The company offers advanced, state-of-the-art, multi-sport and specialized synthetic turf systems with proprietary engineered technologies, leveraging the industry’s only vertically integrated manufacturing system. A growing number of high schools, colleges, professional sports teams and municipalities continue to select AstroTurf-branded products for their premium quality, technical superiority and safety. Recent innovations from AstroTurf include GameDay Grass 3D with RootZone, a polyethylene/nylon hybrid system which most closely replicates natural grass; a non-chemical antimicrobial shield protecting against MRSA and other infectious bacteria; and AstroFlect Technology which significantly reduces turf surface temperatures. To learn more, visit www.astroturfusa.com.