Since the artificial turf was installed in College of the Canyons’ Cougar Stadium in 2003, the field and running track has been used by teams from both COC and the William S. Hart Union High School District. After ten years, the turf needs to be replaced.

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Cougar Stadium will be temporarily closed starting Monday, as the college spends several weeks replacing the artificial turf and resurfacing the track.

The entire stadium, including the main field, track area and stadium stairs will be closed during the process, to ensure the safety of all students and community members.

Signs notifying the public of the closure have already been posted around Cougar Stadium. During the construction, only authorized personnel and college staff will have access to the stadium.

“As a safety precaution we are asking all students and community members to avoid the Cougar Stadium area of campus, for the duration of the project,” said Will Karrat, COC facilities department project director. “We sincerely appreciate everyone’s cooperation during this time.”

Upon completion, the Cougar Stadium playing surface will be equipped with state-of-the-art FieldTurf “Revolution” Monofilament Turf, designed for player safety. The “Revolution” model turf is the same utilized by Division I schools across the nation, including the University of Texas, University of Missouri and U.S. Naval Academy.

The entire project is currently scheduled for completion before the start of the fall 2013 semester and fall sports seasons.

The college has contracted with the company FieldTurf in Calhoun to complete the entire project. The total cost of the project is approximately $780,000.

However, the agreement with FieldTurf will allow the college to utilize an existing California Multiple Award Schedule contract that the company currently holds, providing a cost savings of nearly $200,000 when compared to current market prices.

More than $600,000 of the funding for this project will be made available through a joint Santa Clarita Community College District and Hart District deferred account, set aside for maintenance and replacement. Both districts have equally contributed to this fund on an annual basis since the turf was originally installed in 2003.

The remaining project balance will be paid for by the college with Measure M bond funds, which local voters approved in November 2006.

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