Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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started thinking about this a few years ago, it cost a little bit more to do Field- Turf, but that's okay. The econom- ics were reversed by the time we got here." Among Football Bowl Subdivision programs in the Midwest and North- east, 37 of 47 feature artificial turf. PLAYERS SUPPORT CHANGE TO FIELDTURF While fans and administrators were largely divided in recent years over the possible installation of artificial turf at Notre Dame Stadium, players have largely voiced their support for a change from the natural surface. When prompted, many declined comment prior to the April 12 an- nouncement that Notre Dame Sta- dium will undergo an installation of synthetic turf this summer, a process that is expected to last from May 19 until Aug. 15. Following the Blue-Gold Game, however, several — as well as their head coach — praised the deci- sion. "I'm excited," junior cornerback Kei- Varae Russell said. "I don't really like grass much. I never did in high school. I always hated when we played on grass fields. I'm excited. "You see [the Blue-Gold Game field]? Terrible man. What the hell was that, bro? ... When we played USC last year that field was terrible. I'm excited, though." With Notre Dame's offense undergo- ing a transition to a mobile quarterback this offseason, the state of the turf has become an even more important issue for the unit's success. The university installed four surfaces in Notre Dame Stadium in 2013, but the addition of a synthetic field should create a more stable one for Irish signal-callers. "Love it," senior quarterback Everett Golson said after the Blue-Gold Game. "There were a couple of times I fell today. I love it." Golson wasn't the only Irish player who experienced difficulties with the poor field conditions. "I'm sooo glad were [sic] getting turf I slipped out of my stance too many times," junior defensive tackle Jarron Jones tweeted. In a 38-34 win over Navy last No- vember, the field contributed to an interception when wide receiver TJ Jones slipped on a route, allowing a Midshipmen defensive back to record the turnover. While Jones took respon- sibility for falling to the ground, he said at the time that the conditions con- tributed. "They were bad," he said. "But you can't do anything about the field con- ditions. We don't have turf." At the beginning of spring practice, senior kicker Kyle Brindza noted how much he enjoys kicking on the artificial surface in Loftus Sports Center, but did not want to create waves beyond that. "I don't think I can comment on that," Brindza said while laughing. "It's tough for me, but put any field in front of me and I'll go kick. It doesn't matter for me. Other people it's differ- ent. I'll go kick, just give me a field and I'm good." Swarbrick and head coach Brian Kelly have often cited the safety factor as a positive for switching to artificial turf. "I think you look at the conditions