Which D-VI or D-VII schools have turf - and who in the heck has paid for it?

CJK84

Well-known member
A few days ago a yappi poster asked if Minster, a D-VI school in the MAC, has turf. I think the original poster plans to travel a ways to attend the huge Minster-Anna game this Friday and was simply wondering about the field surface. Someone responded that no MAC schools have turf.

Which got me thinking: outside of Spencerville, who's likely still D-VI, I'm not aware of any D-VI or D-VII schools with turf in west-central Ohio (nor anywhere else in the state). And with a significant price tag for the installment of such a surface, how can small towns possibly finance it? How did Spencerville finance theirs?

I'm a Marion Local fan and have never heard anyone from the community talk seriously about getting turf - the topic is treated like a pipe dream. With no soccer program it just doesn't seem to be worth the hefty cost. And yet it would be awesome - as I was reminded again attending a freshmen game at nearby St. Marys recently.

Thoughts?
 
 
A few days ago a yappi poster asked if Minster, a D-VI school in the MAC, has turf. I think the original poster plans to travel a ways to attend the huge Minster-Anna game this Friday and was simply wondering about the field surface. Someone responded that no MAC schools have turf.

Which got me thinking: outside of Spencerville, who's likely still D-VI, I'm not aware of any D-VI or D-VII schools with turf in west-central Ohio (nor anywhere else in the state). And with a significant price tag for the installment of such a surface, how can small towns possibly finance it? How did Spencerville finance theirs?

I'm a Marion Local fan and have never heard anyone from the community talk seriously about getting turf - the topic is treated like a pipe dream. With no soccer program it just doesn't seem to be worth the hefty cost. And yet it would be awesome - as I was reminded again attending a freshmen game at nearby St. Marys recently.

Thoughts?
Allen East does. Coldwater had a survey for it. Theres a few across the state that do. Hannibal River also does
 
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A few days ago a yappi poster asked if Minster, a D-VI school in the MAC, has turf. I think the original poster plans to travel a ways to attend the huge Minster-Anna game this Friday and was simply wondering about the field surface. Someone responded that no MAC schools have turf.

Which got me thinking: outside of Spencerville, who's likely still D-VI, I'm not aware of any D-VI or D-VII schools with turf in west-central Ohio (nor anywhere else in the state). And with a significant price tag for the installment of such a surface, how can small towns possibly finance it? How did Spencerville finance theirs?

I'm a Marion Local fan and have never heard anyone from the community talk seriously about getting turf - the topic is treated like a pipe dream. With no soccer program it just doesn't seem to be worth the hefty cost. And yet it would be awesome - as I was reminded again attending a freshmen game at nearby St. Marys recently.

Thoughts?

My thoughts are: if your program is happy with a grass field, then by all means, keep playing on a grass field. Not having soccer makes it far easier to keep a grass field nice.

I always give the example of my school. At the time the stadium was renovated and turf installed, this was the field's fall workload:
2 varsity football teams (we'd play on Sat. night to make the facility available for the other school to play on Fri.)
1 JV football team
1 Freshman football team
Multiple Junior High football games on Sun. afternoon (5th and 6th grade games would be played on the practice field)
1 Boys Varsity soccer team
1 Boys JV soccer team
1 Girls Varsity soccer team
1 Girls JV soccer team

5 weeks of that level of usage or just 1 event played in a rainstorm, and that grass field was as good as gone. Most smaller schools don't have that level of usage.

Off the top of my head, DVI and DVII facilities I've seen that have turf: St. Thomas Aquinas (DVII), East Canton (DVI-DVII), and Norwayne (DVI). IIRC, Youngstown Liberty (DVI) just installed turf this year, or perhaps I dreamed it.
 
Most SWBL schools either have it or are getting it. Milton-Union is close with funds to install it. Premier Health made a sizable donation.
 
I believe Conotton Valley (DVII) will have it soon in addition to building a $15+ million indoor facility/community center. Their project will be funded by a significant influx of Rover Pipeline revenue. Although not a DVI or DVII program, Navarre Fairless also just installed turf this summer thanks to a new stream of Rover pipeline revenue.
 
I believe Conotton Valley (DVII) will have it soon in addition to building a $15+ million indoor facility/community center. Their project will be funded by a significant influx of Rover Pipeline revenue. Although not a DVI or DVII program, Navarre Fairless also just installed turf this summer thanks to a new stream of Rover pipeline revenue.
Conotton Valley has had artificial turf all season.
 
Nelsonville York is D6 and got it back in 2005. Rocky Boot has their world headquarters in Nelsonville and pays for it. NY had to be the first small school to get it in Ohio
 
Off the top of my head, DVI and DVII facilities I've seen that have turf: St. Thomas Aquinas (DVII), East Canton (DVI-DVII), and Norwayne (DVI). IIRC, Youngstown Liberty (DVI) just installed turf this year, or perhaps I dreamed it.

Northeast Ohio D6-D7 schools with turf, off the top of my head. Independence, Cuyahoga Heights, St. Thomas Aquinas, East Canton, Warren JFK doesn’t have its own stadium but plays its home games on turf, same with Steubenville Catholic Central, Mogadore, Western Reserve Academy (non OHSAA), and East Palestine.
 
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Northeast Ohio D6-D7 schools with turf, off the top of my head. Independence, Cuyahoga Heights, St. Thomas, Aquinas, East Canton, Warren JFK doesn’t have its own stadium but plays its home games on turf, same with Steubenville Catholic Central, Mogadore, Western Reserve Academy (non OHSAA), and East Palestine.
I forgot about EP. Their facility is extremely nice.
 
I always preferred the grass to the turf for one reason - turf burn. I'll tell you what, that hurts for a good while. Lima Senior was always the worst for turf burn, but I will admit, it is excellent to have in rainy/cold weather.
 
D6 Campbell Memorial had turf installed this year. And yes Mr Slippery- Youngstown Liberty got turf this year. I believe both received some sort of Grant ( which made for some interesting reading on YAPPI this summer)
 
I know St.Thomas Aquinas stark County has turf an they are D7 and Canton Central Catholic in stark county as well has turf an I believe they are D5
 
JFK played its entire schedule, home and away, on turf this year. Anymore it's more of an anomaly to play on a grass field that a turf field. The rest of the playoffs will be on turf too. Independence has an artificial surface and rounds 2 on will be too. Heck even my 10 year old played 10 of his 11 games on turf this year.
 
JFK played its entire schedule, home and away, on turf this year. Anymore it's more of an anomaly to play on a grass field that a turf field. The rest of the playoffs will be on turf too. Independence has an artificial surface and rounds 2 on will be too. Heck even my 10 year old played 10 of his 11 games on turf this year.
The struthers youth team only played 1 game on grass as well. Not having turf is weird nowadays. In the long run it’s cheaper but I guess some can’t raise the money in the short term
 
Mogadore has a new turf field compliments - partially - of a trash company whose truck caught a power line sending an electrical short into the fieldhouse and burning it down. New fieldhouse, track, turf field, gate, concessions stand, ticket booths, scoreboard, etc. The Athletic boosters helped, along with grants and donations, I'm sure. I was told approx. 8 million for the project.
 
Mogadore has a new turf field compliments - partially - of a trash company whose truck caught a power line sending an electrical short into the fieldhouse and burning it down. New fieldhouse, track, turf field, gate, concessions stand, ticket booths, scoreboard, etc. The Athletic boosters helped, along with grants and donations, I'm sure. I was told approx. 8 million for the project.
 

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