Background

When Rice University needed a new artificial turf football field installed just weeks before the start of the season, TenCate was there to answer the call. As a leader in turf innovation for over 60 years, we had the knowledge and resources to accomplish what seemed impossible: installing their new high-performance turf in time for kickoff.

Solution

We upgraded their old artificial grass to Pivot^® Performance Turf and had them game-ready in under two weeks. Immediately, players, coaches and staff started to experience the benefits of our most advanced artificial turf ever. Pivot turf was designed over the course of multiple years to create turf that closely replicates natural grass and be the best high-performance turf for athletes. And that’s exactly what Rice University received.

Results

The players noted a clear difference as soon as they stepped on the field. This was unlike any other turf they’d ever played on, offering next-level artificial grass performance. They found it cushy enough to have some bounce, but responsive enough to make 90-degree cuts and quick plays. Athletes don’t want a turf football field where their cleats dig too deep in the ground, but they also don’t want turf that’s too thin without any traction. Pivot Performance Turf offers them the best of both worlds—and the results are clear.

After only two games, Rice University’s Pivot field became their chosen option for everything on the field — practices included. Players started setting personal records, and preferred practicing on Pivot to the alternative. Their $700,000 natural grass practice field couldn’t compare to the new Pivot field, which offered peak performance. Coaches say it gets better every time the team plays on it, and athletes are achieving their personal best.

Their takeaway was that Pivot feels more like natural grass than anything they’ve ever played on, offering new benefits of artificial turf. Traditional turf can be very hard on athletes, with extensive recoil that can lead to player fatigue. Pivot is made with no performance infill and no black pellets, which reduces the energy returned to the athlete. Players were thrilled to experience less wear on their bodies, and no turf burn. Now when they travel to other artificial turf fields and need to wrap themselves in leggings and turf tape to avoid turf burn, they miss their home field at Rice University. They describe it as the best surface they’ve ever played on, in every way.

It’s not just the athletes who saw immediate improvements with Pivot. The coaches love being on it because they are amazed at how their bodies feel after a long practice. With former NFL players in their 50s and 60s on staff, they were used to coming off an artificial surface with soreness and swelling. On Pivot Performance Turf, they just don’t feel that way anymore. Athletes and coaches can be on the field longer, with less recovery time.

Conclusion

It was our privilege to work with Rice University and in just 12 short days, we completed Rice University’s artificial turf installation (one of our own personal records), upgrading their field and player performance with Pivot Performance Turf. Now that they have experienced the difference, they are excited about what the future holds for their team.

And with a 12-year warranty on their new field, the players at Rice will have a new home-field advantage for game after game, and season after season.