New Turf for Bulldog Stadium

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The turf at Fresno States' Bulldog Stadium' isn't green or thick and it looks this way long before the football season ends. This spring flooding rains forced the team out of its practice field and sent the staff and players by bus to Central High's Koligian stadium to continue spring practice.

Coleman Barnes, Executive Director of the Bulldog Foundation told us, "During inclement weather and during football season you want a good surface to play on and artificial turf, Field Turf will provide that opportunity."

The Bulldog Foundation has raised seven-hundred thousand dollars toward the total price tag of 1-point-two-million to install artificial Field Turf here and to have it done by the end of July, 2011.

The Universities' Diamond Dogs are already experiencing the use of synthetic turf. It was installed before the beginning of this year's season running in front of the two dugouts and home plate. It allows the team to prepare to play out of town games ballparks with artificial turf. Assistant Baseball Coach, Pat Wear told me, "We can use it to take ground balls and practice on before we do got play teams that do have artificial turf on their field like and Hawaii and University of Nevada."

Today there's a new way to donate to the project. It's called "Text for Turf" says Coleman Barnes, "Anyone can make a donation of 10 dollars, you can do it more than once, if you text turf to 85944. Every little bit helps."

Back in Bull Dog Stadium recent Fresno State Cornerback Desia Dunn is keeping in shape to meet his goal of an NFL career by running hundreds of stairs. He stopped for a while to talk about his thoughts on the idea. He told us text donations open the way for every Fresno state fan to participate, "I think it's really exciting. You know, when you play at other stadiums, you play on a good surface you play faster. I think it's better for the players, I mean you're playing on a better surface, it prevents injuries."

May 15th is the deadline to raise the funds in order to have the synthetic turf in place for the 2011-2012 season. To donate towards the new turf renovation project just text "TURF" to 8-5-9-4-4. Ten dollars will go to the project. Look for construction to start in mid-May.