YEAR IN REVIEW
successful members of the sports field management industry . In addition to educational seminars , handson workshops and the latest technology on display , conference attendees have the opportunity to tour professional , college and municipal facilities that offer a range of insights to take back home .
6 . SFMA INNOVATIVE AWARD WINNERS The Sports Field Management Association ( SFMA ) Innovative Awards program recognizes SFMA commercial company members who have developed a product , service , equipment or technology that “ substantially enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of the sports field manager and / or makes the playing surfaces safer and / or more playable for athletes .”
7 . NFLPA ADDRESSES PLAYER INJURIES ON SYNTHETIC TURF With 14 out of the current 30 NFL stadiums using synthetic turf , players have been outspoken about their preference for natural grass over synthetic playing surfaces . The National Football League Players Association ( NFLPA ), the labor union that represents NFL players , recently released data showing that injury rates on synthetic surfaces were higher than on natural surfaces .
10 . MSU LIBRARIES ’ TURFGRASS INFORMATION CENTER TGIF DATABASE NOW OPEN ACCESS The Michigan State University Libraries ’ Turfgrass Information Center is making the Turfgrass Information File ( TGIF ) database publicly available . This database , which is a cooperative project of the United States Golf Association and the Turfgrass Information Center , can be openly accessed at https :// tic . msu . edu / tgif .
PRODUCT NEWS 1 . POWER TURF RENOVATION PTO-60 SPORTS FIELD RENOVATION MACHINE The Power Turf Renovation PTO-60 sports field renovation machine aerates , dethatches , verticuts , levels playing surfaces and removes the problematic infield lips . With one tractor and an operator , an entire football field can be done in two to three hours . With the 5 / 8-inch blade spacing and a 60-inch-wide swath , the process can be adjusted down to a depth of 2 inches .
8 . NOTED TURFGRASS SCIENTIST RETIRES FROM PENN STATE Andrew McNitt , Ph . D ., professor of soil science , director of the Center for Sports Surface Research and technical adviser to the National Football League ( NFL ), retired from Penn State after a 40-year career in the College of Agricultural Sciences .
9 . FIELD DAYS SHOWCASE THE SEED INDUSTRY Mountain View Seeds and Landmark Seed Company hosted field days in Oregon , June 20 and 21 . The events provided attendees with a better understanding of the companies ’ varieties and products , as well as the seed industry .
2 . EXMARK INTRODUCES VERTEX X-SERIES AND VERTEX E-SERIES Exmark unveiled its complete 2024 line of Vertex stand-on commercial mowers . Larger Vertex X-Series and compact Vertex E-Series machines have been added to the line . The new models join Exmark ’ s existing Vertex S-Series and electric Vertex V-Series models for the new year .
38 SportsField Management | December 2023 sportsfieldmanagementonline . com