New Trier's First Varsity Football Game on Synthetic Turf Tonight

Tonight’s varsity football game at will be the very first held on the school’s new synthetic turf, a that was installed over the summer.

• Are you attending tonight’s game? Snap some photos and send them to Andy.Ambrosius@patch.com!

The football game at New Trier’s Northfield Campus stadium begins at 7:30 p.m., and officials are planning a dedication ceremony during halftime to recognize the hard work involved in funding and installing the state-of-the-art turf.

“A dedication ceremony for the new fields will take place at halftime of the game,” said Nicole Ziegler Dizon, New Trier’s director of communications. “At this time, school officials and the Board of Education will recognize the efforts of the Booster Club, New Trier staff, parents, students, and community members for helping make the fields a reality.”

The for the field is the largest commitment ever offered to New Trier High School. The district estimates it will save at least $563,929 in maintenance costs over 12 years by switching to synthetic turf and gain additional revenue of approximately $377,400 during that time period by renting the fields to outside organizations.

Director of Athletics Randy Oberembt formed a committee of teachers and coaches to study the potential effect of synthetic turf on the curricular and extracurricular program. The committee found that use of the stadium field would increase eightfold – from 250 hours a year to almost 2,000 – while use of the large adjacent playfields would more than double with the installation of synthetic turf.