National spotlight on Eastern

The initial hype has subsided, but Eastern Washington University’s decision to replace the natural grass in Woodward Field with a red synthetic playing surface continues to stir interest and conversations across the country.

Since the school first announced late last month that former Eagle Michael Roos and his wife, Katherine, had pledged $500,000 toward the project, EWU and its proposed red turf have been at the center of discussions on several cable television shows, including ESPN’s “Pardon the Interuption,” and a host of radio programs, including the nationally syndicated “The Dan Patrick Show.”

The NCAA’s official Website posted it as its top story when it broke, and Yahoo also gave it a good run on its home page, as well. Blogs and message boards were abuzz with comments on the idea, including a few University of Montana fans, who made it clear they were not enamored with the decision of their Big Sky Conference rival.

The story has been carried in major daily newspapers, nationwide, with a recent headline in the Boise-based Idaho Statesman proclaiming the unique blue turf that was installed in Boise State’s Bronco Stadium 23 years ago was finally “getting a new distant cousin.”

According to EWU sports information director Dave Cook, the national interest generated by the “Red Turf Project” rivals that which was created in 2004 when the Eagles men’s basketball team made its first appearance in the NCAA tournament.

“For a couple of days there, my head was spinning because of all the e-mails and phone calls we were getting,” Cook said. “Things have quieted down a little, but there is still plenty of talk about it.”

Roos, a former standout at Eastern and current starting left tackle and 2008 Pro Bowl pick for the NFL’s Tennessee Titans, pledged his initial gift as a means of jump-starting an effort to raise the $750,000 to $1 million needed to purchase and install the red turf.

And Eagles athletic director Bill Chaves is confident the rest of the money can be raised in time to have the new synthetic playing surface in place for the start of the 2010 season.

“We’ve got a couple of other gifts that have since come in, and I can tell you we are certainly in conversations with a number of other folks who are interested in supporting the project,” said Chaves, who did not identify the other donors already onboard with the project.

“Obviously, Michael and Katherine’s donation was just unbelievably generous and kind of served as the first domino to fall, if you will, and get the project off the ground.

“Can we get it done? Why not? I’m extremely optimistic we can follow through,” Chaves added.

It was Marc Hughes, Eastern’s associate athletic director for development, who first approached Roos and his wife, who are both EWU graduates, with the red turf idea.

“I knew if he said yes, it would get some bees buzzing on campus, for sure,” Hughes said. “Michael and Kat took their time to think it over, and in the end said they were honored that somebody finally asked them for something legitimate.

“It ended up being kind of a no-brainer for them in that they’ve always wanted to give back to the university in some way, shape or form.”

Hughes will continue to do most of the project’s hard lifting and plans to maximize his travel budget in an effort to visit personally with other potential donors. And he, like Chaves, thinks the publicity generated by the red turf proposal will make his job easier.

“Going back a couple of months, there were a lot of people thinking we would never be in this position,” Hughes said. “But now, because of Michael’s gift and all the buzz it’s created, those same people are realizing this could actually happen.”

According to Chaves, a member of Eastern’s board of trustees said one of his goals for the year was to raise awareness and visibility of the institution.

“And I don’t think there have been many other things, from an athletic standpoint, that have raised the awareness and visibility of the institution, nationwide, as much as this,” Chaves added.

By installing synthetic turf, the university stands to save between $15,000 and $20,000 annually on field maintenance. That estimate, Chaves explained, is based primarily on not having to preserve the existing natural grass surface that requires 300,000 gallons of water annually.

In addition, there are savings associated with not having to line the field and paint the end zones for each game. And there is also a possibility that future revenue can be generated by hosting non-university events, like high school playoff games.

Chaves said the estimated cost of buying and installing the playing surface is considerably higher than simply replacing one synthetic turf with another. In this instance, there is a lot of preparation work that must be done before the new turf can be installed.

Chaves in hoping some of those preparation costs can, perhaps, be reduced by local contractors deeming at least a portion of their labor costs as gifts in kind to the university.

Both Chaves and Hughes have lingering minor concerns about the project, including whether the red carpet might eventually fade to pink. But they have received assurances from several potential suppliers that such a thing is unlikely.

“We’ve talked to a few turf companies,” Chaves said, “and there will, over the course of time, be some gradual fading. But like green turf that fades from dark green to a lighter green, it we be red to (lighter) red.”

Still, neither the fade issue nor any of the other remaining concerns, have seemed to diminish enthusiasm for the project – especially that of Hughes, the Eagles’ former golf.

“If there is one reason on this entire planet that makes me feel certain we’re doing the right thing with this red turf project,” said Hughes, “it’s because Montana hates it.”