Field of dreams: Golden Bulls debut synthetic surface

PHOTO | HERBERT L. WHITE

Johnson C. Smith held its first football practice Thursday on Eddie McGirt Field's new synthetic surface hours after FieldTurf officials handed over the facility after completing the project.

A week after sampling artificial turf good enough for the NFL, Johnson C. Smith football has its own.

The Golden Bulls practiced for the first time Thursday on Eddie McGirt Field’s new FieldTurf surface, the first time in school history the football program’s home field isn’t grass. FieldTurf, the company that installed the surface at Bank of America Stadium, turned the completed project over to JCSU hours before the first practice. The Carolina Panthers hosted the Golden Bulls last week for a practice session last week at Bank of America Stadium. Their other practices were held at West Charlotte High’s turf field.

“It still hasn’t sunk in that Johnson C. Smith University has a brand new FieldTurf field,” said coach Maurice Flowers, a Golden Bulls quarterback from 1987-91. “I’m an alumnus and I was here in ’87 and all I know is grass out here on our game field. To see us out here, not just on any surface but one of the best surfaces you can have, I can’t even say it’s a dream come true. It’s great. Fantastic.”

Aside from aesthetics – the surface is evergreen, never produces divots, bald spots, or mud – the new surface is easier to maintain. It never needs watering, and the football-specific markings are permanent. Markings for sports such as soccer or lacrosse can be added as needed and the surface’s life span is generally a decade before replacement is necessary.

“It’s a big improvement,” quarterback Tyrell Jackson said. “It’s the same that the Panthers play on, so we’re truly blessed. Thankful for coach Flowers and the JCSU community for getting it all together and providing it for us.”

The McGirt upgrade isn’t the only one for JCSU athletics. An adjacent building that previously housed a business incubator and campus maintenance will be repurposed as a fieldhouse for locker rooms, weight training and study areas. Mecklenburg County, which owns and maintains the Olympics-class running surface that surrounds McGirt Field, will be replaced later this year.

After years of treading water in athletic facilities, JCSU is moving to close the gap to its CIAA rivals. The field is the most obvious asset, though.

“It’s going to help recruiting, we can always get work in when it rains,” Flowers said. “Young men want to play on a good surface, practice on a good surface, and when you have FieldTurf, you practice on your game field. I’m just so glad we have it, and our young men are breaking it in.”

The Golden Bulls will conduct their spring scrimmage April 22 at McGirt Field and the first game is the Sept. 9 Eddie McGirt Classic against Walsh (Ohio).

“I’m looking forward to having a great home opener on Eddie McGirt Field at the Eddie McGirt Classic,” Flowers said and just looking forward to showcasing our field and our facilities.”

Those improvements, along with the investment in boosting scholarships and coaches’ salaries, are part of JCSU’s commitment to building the athletics program. New facilities are great, Jackson admits, but success is more attractive.

“They don’t promise us wins, so winning on the field brings more attention to it,” he said.

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