Turf At Sports Authority Field Designed For Inclement Weather
DENVER (CBS4)- The Denver Broncos may battle some inclement weather in Sunday's AFC Championship game against the New England Patriots. Up to an inch of snow could fall in Denver about an hour after kickoff at 1:05 p.m.
Sports Authority Field at Mile High has measures in place to keep the game running smoothly in harsh weather conditions. The stadium is equipped with a drainage system and an underground heating system to heat the sand that the turf sits on.
Throughout the week, crews mowed the field and sprayed a fresh coat of paint. Sports Authority Field officials said the stadium was ready to go for the big game day.
But experts say a lot more than meets the eye goes into getting the turf into tip-top shape.
"We take a great deal of pride in the product that we present our athletes and our fans," said Doug Rightmire, Landscape and Sports Turf Manager at the University of Denver.
Rightmire manages the turf at Ciber Field, a sand-based natural turf field like the one at Sports Authority Field.
The Kentucky blue grass in both fields has to be seeded, aeriated and fed.
Rightmire said the turf's condition is crucial to player performance.
"Occasionally, it'll start to frost up as the temperature goes down," said Rightmire. "And our soccer athletes have to adjust shoes, footwear, cleat length, playing style. The condition of the turf is very critical to the outcome of the game in some circumstances."
That's especially true when rain and snow start falling. Below the surface, the fields have a drainage system to keep puddles from accumulating.
Sports Authority Field goes a step beyond. It's equipped with a water-based, coil heating system that keeps its soil from freezing.
A Sports Authority Field spokesperson said the NFL came in to the stadium to test the turf out this week, and it tested well.
Crews were expected to do some more light maintenance over the weekend in preparation for Sunday's game.
Melissa Garcia has been reporting for CBS4 News since March 2014. Find her bio here, follow her on Twitter @MelissaGarciaTV, or send your story idea to mkgarcia@cbs.com.
