NEW ORLEANS — The Mercedes-Benz Superdome was a hub of activity a day after the LSU Tigers won the College Football National Championship in the stadium in downtown New Orleans.
"We don't ever get to sleep," said Superdome Assistant Director of Field Operations Tommy Gerace. "As soon as one project is done, the next one starts."
In less than a week the field, goal posts and nets will be gone, Gerace said.
Crews are preparing the stadium for phase one of $450 million in renovations at the Dome.
"[We're] making sure we're good partners for the construction crew coming in for the renovations," Gerace said. "Making sure that they have a clean slate."
The artificial turf is now heading Uptown to Lusher High School. It's expected to replace the grass at the Brees Family Field on campus.
"Maintaining a field, a grass field in New Orleans humidity becomes very costly," Lusher Principal Steve Corbett said. "This field gets a lot of use. When it gets a lot of use, the grass fields doesn't always look the way you want it to look."
The school is raising money to buy the turf. Corbett calls it an incredible opportunity.
"Witnessing what occurred last night with LSU winning the national championship on the field at the Superdome, we're going to be very fortunate to look back at the history of that," Corbett said. "We are certainly appreciative we'll be able to have access to this field starting next year."
The new field is expected to be the centerpiece of Lusher's new $3.5 million athletic complex.
Troy St. John from Turf Nation, the company that manufactures and installs the fields, is happy this historic turf will have a second lifetime.
"I'm glad it's going somewhere else instead of just a landfill," St. John said. "We've got to make sure that we make cuts in the right place, so when it does go over to Lusher it looks just as good as it can."
Lusher officials hope to have the new field turf installed in time for fall football.
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