May 14, 2015
LEXINGTON, Ky. – With a $120 million renovation entering its final stages, a new synthetic surface is set to be installed this month at The New CWS. On Thursday, the design of the new field was unveiled.
UK Athletics’ new interlocking UK logo will be located at midfield, occupying 10 yards horizontally from one 45-yard line to the other, the same size the midfield logo was prior to the renovation. The end zones and team areas along both sidelines will feature blue checkerboard patterns with white Kentucky lettering. Southeastern Conference logos will be at the 25-yard line on both sides of the field.
Wait no longer, the field design for #TheNewCWS is here. http://t.co/XdT5GR4Xz4 pic.twitter.com/pf69umuoMA
— Kentucky Athletics (@UKAthletics) May 14, 2015
Though final decisions about the design of the new field were made by athletics administrators in conjunction with head coach Mark Stoops, fan opinion was taken into account throughout the process. For example, the painted blue end zones were mentioned frequently in feedback received through BBN First. Based on this feedback, blue end zones were tested for the final home game in 2014 and eventually embraced as part of the new field design.
The new UK logo will make its second appearance after its debut on the newly painted court at Memorial Coliseum this spring. It was developed after more than a year of research and collecting feedback from student-athletes, coaches and administrators as a way to refresh UK’s primary mark in a way that highlights the “K” and communicates the “We Are UK” message that has become a hallmark of UK Athletics.
The checkerboard pattern will grace the field after being a part of UK’s football uniform for the last five seasons. The pattern is one of excellence, paying homage to the Bluegrass State’s rich horseracing tradition and Triple Crown winner Secretariat.
UK’s new synthetic turf field is the UBU-Speed Series-S5-M, the same surface featured in the 2013 and 2014 Super Bowls, as well as the annual NFL Pro Bowl. Preparation to install the new surface is in progress. It is expected to be completed in July.
UK will play its first game on the new field on Sept. 5 vs. UL Lafayette.
