New outdoor activities fields under construction at BYU-Idaho, others being renovated

In an effort to more efficiently serve the needs of students at Brigham Young University-Idaho, a group of new outdoor activities fields is being constructed and several others are undergoing renovation.

The goal of these projects is to enhance the university's outdoor recreational facilities in a way that will allow them to better serve the needs of students.

The natural grass playing surface at the BYU-Idaho stadium is being replaced with artificial turf, and improved lighting is being installed on all activities fields. Also, four new activities fields are being constructed on Seventh South, next to the University Village housing complex. Two of those fields will be artificial turf.

"The construction and renovation of activities fields has always been a planned part of the transition to BYU-Idaho," said Garth Hall, vice president of advancement. "We have addressed increased academic needs with additional classroom space. Now we are taking care of the increased needs of student activities."

Hall said the installation of artificial turf is a more cost effective way to maintain the fields. "The growing season for natural grass is short and the fields experience high usage, making them difficult to maintain. Replacing the grass with artificial turf is a practical solution," Hall said.

Lighting for the activities fields is also being reworked. Light poles that were originally in the center of the fields are being moved to the outside perimeter for safety. And out of consideration for the community, new hooded lights with more focused beams are being installed to minimize glare.