YEAR IN REVIEW
6 . COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY TURFGRASS PROGRAMS : DELVAL In this edition of the College and University Turfgrass Programs series , Delaware Valley University ( DelVal ) is featured . DelVal is the only small , private university that offers a 4-year degree in Turf Management .
DAILY NEWS 1 . SPORTSFIELD MANAGEMENT RISING STAR AWARDS SportsField Management magazine introduced its inaugural class of Rising Star Award winners . The Rising Star Awards highlight industry members who are under the age of 40 or have been in the industry for less than 10 years .
7 . Q & A WITH DR . GRADY MILLER : SUPER BOWL LVII TURFGRASS One of the hot-button topics in sports field management in 2023 was the playing surface at Super Bowl LVII in Arizona . Dr . Grady Miller , professor and extension turf specialist at North Carolina State University , responded to questions he received during the second half of the big game .
8 . COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY TURFGRASS PROGRAMS : IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY The Iowa State University Department of Horticulture Turfgrass Management option has an excellent national reputation and students are sought after by employers throughout the country . Iowa State University Turfgrass Management students learn all the skills necessary to maintain turf that could earn them a position as a sports field manager , golf course superintendent , lawn care specialist or municipal grounds professional .
2 . INDUSTRY WEIGHS IN ON SUPER BOWL FIELD CONDITIONS The Super Bowl playing surface was center stage , and the turfgrass variety at State Farm Stadium was thrust into the national spotlight as players for both teams struggled with footing .
3 . WEIGHING THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN NATURAL AND SYNTHETIC TURF As a debate arises in the NFL and other professional sports over the benefits of choosing natural or synthetic turf for athletic fields , Cale Bigelow , professor of horticulture and landscape architecture in Purdue University ’ s College of Agriculture , suggests that both turf types have positives and negatives to consider .
4 . LLSWS TO FEATURE ALL-FEMALE GROUNDS CREW SFMA members volunteered to be part of the all-female crew at the Little League Softball World Series at Stallings Stadium at Elm Street Park in Greenville , North Carolina . 2023 was the second straight year that an all-female crew took care of the field at the LLSWS .
9 . PAMELA SHERRATT ON BLUEGRASS / RYEGRASS SWARDS Sherratt answers if a bluegrass / ryegrass hybrid field can shift back to a majority Kentucky bluegrass surface through overseeding .
10 . Q & A WITH DR . GRADY MILLER : MINIMUM TEMPERATURES FOR BERMUDAGRASS GROWTH Dr . Miller is asked about bermudagrass growth in the spring .
5 . MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR THE 35TH ANNUAL SFMA CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION The 35th Annual SFMA Conference and Exhibition will be held January 22-25 , 2024 , in Daytona Beach , Florida , allowing members to share information with other sportsfieldmanagementonline . com December 2023 | SportsField Management
37