LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Kentucky men’s soccer team is getting a new playing field at the UK Soccer Complex and will it be ready for the 2011 season.
 
“It’s exciting to see the work going on at the game field,” UK head coach Ian Collins said. “We have always been able to play games on a top level surface and with these additional upgrades it will be immaculate regardless of weather conditions. These improvements will give our players a chance to compete on one of the best surfaces in the country.”

The UK Soccer Complex has been widely considered one of the top playing surfaces in the nation over the last few years, under the direction of Sports Turf managers Marcus Dean and Eric Haub.
 
“Our new field shows great commitment from our athletics department,” UK senior defender Brad Walker said. “We have a great fan base and some really talented and skilled players and having such a great playing field helps all of us within the program. There is a lot of pride in taking the field in a Kentucky uniform and playing at UK. I know all of the players are really looking forward to competing at home in 2011 on this state of the art surface.”

The field will also include a new baseline irrigation system that will have motion sensors in the field which will allow the Sports Turf department that ability to monitor soil moisture levels and reduce overwatering.
 
Kentucky posted a 6-2-1 record at the UK Soccer Complex in 2010 and has consistently ranked among the Conference USA leaders in attendance, in addition to setting a school-record for average attendance (1,150) in 2009, when UK ranked No. 19 in the NCAA in average attendance. Overall, UK has led the league in attendance three times since joining the conference in 2004. In 2010, UK average 973 fans per game in nine home dates.
 
UK has recently released its 2011 schedule, featuring games against nine opponents who advanced to the 2010 NCAA Tournament. UK will host 10 games at the UK Soccer Complex in 2011.