The off-season brought some major changes to Melvin & Dollie Younts Stadium at North Greenville University’s (NGU) Tigerville campus.
NGU recently contracted GEOSurfaces to replace the football turf, which had been in place since the fall semester of 2014.
“It’s state-of-the-art turf and one of the best products out there,” said NGU Athletic Director Jan McDonald. “We’re really excited about it and proud of how it looks. The team is looking forward to playing on it and we’re excited for fans to come see it.”
Sporting red end zones that read “North Greenville” and the university’s interlocking “NG” logo at the center of the 50 yard-line, the new turf has already been catching eyes, according to NGU Head Football Coach Jeff Farrington.
“We’re excited to show it off and surprise some people when we kick the season off with our first home game on September 16 against University of West Alabama,” Farrington said. “We’ve had guys training on it this summer. We’ve hosted some 7-on-7 tournaments. Everybody has liked it and been impressed with it.”
Farrington said the new turf does more than simply improve the look at Younts Stadium.
“It makes the playing surface safer,” Farrington said. “Our old surface had gotten to the point where it lacked consistency. Whether running a route or scrambling as a quarterback or chasing a quarterback on defense, you’d see players slip. This was an upgrade that was needed.”
In addition to the football turf replacement, GEOSurfaces completed maintenance on NGU’s soccer and lacrosse field at Pepsi Stadium. McDonald said the women’s basketball locker room also received upgrades this summer, making the space more functional for the team.
“It’s been unbelievable to see the transformation in our athletic facilities in recent years,” McDonald said. “We’ve been blessed that so many good people have made financial commitments to North Greenville University, and I’m so very thankful to see these things happen.”
With August practice underway, Farrington said his team has a lot to look forward to this fall.
“Anytime you enter pre-season camp, it’s an exciting time. We’re looking forward to what we can become as a team,” he said. “Each year brings a new challenge, but we open up with Charleston Southern on August 31 and we’ve got our sights set on that.”
The North Greenville football program is now in its 35th year. For a full 2023 schedule, click here.
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About North Greenville University
NGU offers more than 125 areas of study across certificate, bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and early college opportunities. Online. In-person. At our main campus in Tigerville, SC, the Tim Brashier Campus in Greer, SC, or several educational centers around the U.S. One university, many locations. Every day. Epic. To learn more, visit ngu.edu.
