HAMILTON, N.Y. (7/20/07) - Colgate athletics director Dave Roach has announced that two key athletic facilities will be getting major upgrades this summer.

Tyler's Field, home of Colgate's lacrosse and field hockey teams, is getting a new playing surface called AstroTurf12 to replace the existing AstroTurf field.

The playing surface was in need of replacement after a decade of wear and tear. The field was dedicated in the fall of 1997 in the memory of Colgate lacrosse and football player J. Tyler Whaling '93.

Andy Kerr Stadium, home of the Colgate football team, is having FieldTurf, which looks like grass and is easy to maintain, installed this summer.

Some harsh winters have forced the team to compete on a field that at times has been nearly unplayable - to the point that it has threatened the team's ability to host late-season games.

Providing Colgate's athletes with a consistently safe, playable surface is essential, said Roach, and the installation of this first-rate artificial surface will make this possible.

In addition to its growing popularity in the college ranks, where it is installed at more than 300 universities, FieldTurf has established itself in the National Football League. Twenty-one of the NFL's 32 teams currently use FieldTurf at their stadiums and/or their practice facilities.

The Colgate projects, which will cost $2.1 million when completed, are being funded by gifts from donors, who have already pledged $1.6 million toward the total goal.

“These enhancements will give all our programs tremendous flexibility for practices and competition,” said Roach. “We are grateful to all of our supporters who have helped get this initiative off the ground.”