FARGO — Craig Bohl had just gotten off the North Dakota State team bus at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, and the Bison head football coach started his customary walk around the field. He was not happy prior to the 2013 FCS national championship game against Towson University (Md.).
Bohl was furious at the sloppy shape of the natural Bermuda grass. The cause: an ice storm after the turf between the hashmarks was replaced prevented the roots from taking hold. By the second half, turf was coming loose in chunks.
That shouldn't be a problem this year when the Bison play South Dakota State on Sunday, Jan. 8 for the FCS title.
Reports from Frisco indicate the field held up well from the Frisco Bowl played last Saturday between Boise State and North Texas. Temperatures this week will be in the 50s until at least Thursday, when high temps are expected to dip significantly.
But the field will be covered with a "growth blanket" that keeps grass warm and growing. The weather should improve next week at which time the blanket will be removed. Moreover, Toyota Stadium has another maintenance system called RSI "stadium grass grow lighting," a rolling bank of LED lights on four tires which acts as artificial sun light and heat to recover damaged areas.
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NDSU has played in six national title games at Toyota Stadium since the 2013 episode and the field has been in good shape every time. The facility is mainly the soccer home of FC Dallas, which begins its season in late February.