By Toni Garrard Clay
AISD Communications Coordinator
The process of installing new turf on Athens ISD’s football/soccer field is underway, and observers will be seeing a bit of red this time — Cardinal red.
Trinity Valley Community College, working in partnership with AISD, is covering the additional cost of having the TVCC logo and name added to the Bruce Field turf. For many years, the Athens-based junior college has been in a contractual relationship with Athens ISD to use the school district’s facilities. Now, for the first time, their name will be on the field.
“There will be a Hornet logo and a Cardinal logo on both 25-yard lines,” said Barry Choate, AISD’s director of operations. “The west end zone will be maroon and say Hornets, just as it has been, and the east end zone will be red and say Cardinals.”
"We appreciate our strong partnership with Athens ISD and this agreement to provide Cardinals and the cardinal mascot on Bruce Field,” said TVCC President Dr. Jerry King. “We believe this will provide great visibility as well as valuable promotion and recognition for TVCC."
The turf is being replaced as a result of damage and lead contamination caused by a tragic house fire in April. The school district’s insurance company will cover the cost of the new turf, and TVCC will pay the additional cost — which is not covered by insurance — to add their school name and logo.
The old turf has been removed, and work is underway to prepare the field for the replacement turf. Installation is scheduled to begin sometime next week and will take about a week for completion, which should be well in advance of the scheduled start of two-a-days.
“The circumstances that lead to this point are absolutely not what any of us would ever want,” said AISD Superintendent Blake Stiles. “But we are pleased our good friends at TVCC will have their name on the field they have used for many years.”
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