It can be called either a field of dreams or a field of opportunity, either way Campbellsville University's new synthetic turf field is complete and so is the first phase of the $1.2 million "More Than a Game" campaign.

EnviroTurf workers put the final touches on the HIG Field surface Tuesday at Finley Stadium after a 15 day turf installation process.

"I am very pleased with the finished product," said Rusty Hollingsworth, CU director of athletics. "I believe this surface will serve our university very well for many years. It has been a long process, and I'm glad to see it completed."

Head coaches Perry Thomas, Adam Preston and Thom Jones can't wait for their teams to begin play on the new field Aug. 27-28.

The project, which began with arrival of lights on Dec. 28, 2009 for both Finley Stadium and baseball's Tiger Field, finished with seven weeks remaining before the soccer program hosts Freed-Hardeman University for the first CU regular season athletic event on the surface Aug. 27 and football hosts Kentucky Christian University for a season opener Aug. 28 at 7 p.m.

"The field looks great! It is the final piece of making the campus first class," said women's soccer coach Thom Jones. "It's still a dream, and won't feel like a reality until we play our first game on there."

While the first university event on the surface was a L.I.N.C. freshman orientation event on Friday, Tiger football will host the first overall athletic event on the turf when their 7-on-7 high school football camp begins next week. It will also open up the opportunity to host numerous night football games and also some high school bowl games and more camps.

"This field will draw the attention of recruits everywhere," CU football head coach Perry Thomas said. "The surface will be awesome to play on. We will not have to be concerned about the weather being a factor in the game. The lights and field will add to the great atmosphere that is generated in college football."

Men's soccer head coach Adam Preston hopes the new field will also help Campbellsville receive a bid for the Mid-South Conference Tournament or other postseason events.

"We want to show this place off," said Preston, who believes the turf and school support gives him one of the best soccer jobs in the nation. "We're very excited about being able to play our games here and at night. I've been getting calls every day from alumni pumped up about it."

The process of laying the turf took 15 days once the field had been prepared and material delivered. The crew began with the "belly" of the field, first setting the 50-yard line and building off that toward the south end zone and then the north end zone. After gluing the seams and setting the sidelines, the crew began to fill in the green around the edges of the field, covering the foundation rock surface. Hash marks were cut out and placed first, followed by yardage numbers, end zone lettering, the paw print center logo and finally the soccer lines.

On Sunday, July 4, the crew began spreading into the surface granulized rubber pellets from used tires. Sixty-five bags were spread the first day and another 50 were spread Monday. Tuesday, July 6 was a clean-up and final approval day.

The project foreman from EnviroTurf, Randy York, said if you think the field looks good now, just wait until it sees a few rains and games.

"The field will look beautiful when we leave, but in 12 months it will really look good," York said.

The fund raising campaign for the project began Sept. 25, 2009 with a kickoff dinner and visit by "We Are Marshall" head coach Jack Lengyel, who restored the Marshall University football program after a plane crash took the lives of most all of the 1970 football team and coaching staff.

CU also received fundraising help from Country music legend Vince Gill, who packed out CU's Ransdell Chapel for a concert that raised $41,000 in March, and also Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Dick Butkus, who helped raise $3,250 at a dinner in April.

All three of those events and other personal and corporate gifts went along with the initial $500,000 gift made by Citizens Bank & Trust, Co.

The lights for Finley Stadium and baseball's Tiger Field were first used in April with the first official night baseball game at CU on April 20. Citizens Bank CEO Mark Johnson threw out the first pitch for the night.

Fund raising for the next phase of the "More Than a Game" campaign continues. The next phase will be announced later this year.

FIELD RENOVATION PHOTO GALLERIES