GENEVA — In 2010, over 100 years of Hobart and William Smith athletics competing on the natural grass of Boswell Field came to an end. A new turf field was installed, outlined by a modest three-lane track. Since then, hundreds of athletic contests, thousands of players and millions of tiny black rubber pellets have tromped on the field.
When William Smith lacrosse defeated Tufts 14-4 in the NCAA Division III quarterfinal on May 21, less than 24 hours surpassed before the 13-year-old turf field was ripped apart and shipped out.
In preparation for the 2023-24 academic athletic year, the Colleges have nearly completed installation of a new turf and track resurfacing project, coming in at about a $970,000 price tag.
“The turf is all in, the lines are down and now they are in the process of putting the pellets onto the field,” Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics and Recreation Brian Miller said last week. “That part of the project is pretty much done but what’s going to take a little bit longer is resurfacing the track.”
Thirteen years is typically the lifespan of a turf field. When the turf was installed in 2010, the field had everything it needed and nothing it didn’t. No logo at center field, no end zone graphics or sideline illustrations; just “Hobart” on one end and “William Smith” on the other in plain white graphics.
The new turf — which is made out of recycled old turf — has significantly more pop than its predecessor, with the individual schools’ athletic shields at midfield, a purple Hobart end zone on one end and a green William Smith end zone on the other.
“Before, it was just a basic turf field with not a lot of bells and whistles,” Miller said. “We definitely wanted to put more branding on it. It kind of pops a little bit more.”
The three-lane track is primarily utilized by community members, the cross country team and for training by the student body.
The company, Clark Companies, is the same turf manufacturer as the previous turf as well as the turf inside the Poole Family Sports Dome. The turf is installed by a Binghamton-area company, Chenango Contracting Inc.
“We’ve been waiting for new turf and there has been a great commitment by President Gearan and the Board of Trustees to allow us to move forward with this project,” Miller said. “The athletes are excited from seeing the photos and I know the coaches are really excited as well.”
Hobart football’s first practice is Aug. 10, and the first game on the field will be Hobart soccer on Friday, Sept. 1 against Keuka College. Beyond the varsity teams, Boswell Field has always been open to club and intramural sports and the entire student-body to use. That will stay the same.
Since 2010, the old Boswell Field turf has seen Division I lacrosse All-Americans, elite William Smith athletes, an NFL Pro Day workout and several unforgettable moments, the final contest on May 21 being one of them.
Now, new memories await to be made.
