Sportexe

Twenty-seven sports...that's how many the University of California-Berkeley offers. To support that number of athletic programs, the facilities have to be top-notch.

That's why, three years ago, Cal-Berkeley began a comprehensive review of synthetic turf companies and their products. The university's quest was to find a high quality synthetic field that would meet the performance and safety demands of an extremely competitive football program and numerous other sports and activities year-round.

Two years ago one field system rose to the surface in that selection process: Momentum™ from Sportexe®.

According to Cal-Berkeley Director of Football Operations, Mike McHugh, "The university is even more pleased with its Momentum™ system than when it was chosen."

We felt then - and we still feel - that Momentum™ is the best playing surface available," he stated. McHugh said the selection committee reviewed 10-12 turf companies and their products, narrowed the selection down to three or four, then part of the group toured numerous facilities to gauge differences in the products.

Those who made site visits included McHugh, an engineer, Head Football Coach Jeff Tedford, UC Berkeley Turf Specialist Nick Cole and the university's Assistant Athletic Director for Facilities, Bob Milana Jr.

"As soon as we learned more about Sportexe® and Momentum™, we pretty much knew which direction we'd go," said McHugh, who added that experiencing the turf firsthand confirmed their choice.

Sportexe installed Momentum™ at Cal-Berkeley in summer, 2003, replacing a worn grass field. "We had severe maintenance issues with the grass; it was used way too much," said McHugh.

"In reviewing synthetic systems our first concern was safety," he continued. "Momentum™ provides what we were seeking - a safe, consistent field - better than grass in this area of the country as grass can be very inconsistent because of bumps, over use, etc."

He said he's very pleased with how the Momentum™ field has retained its quality so far, as it's already experienced significant use. (It serves as both home and practice field for the football team and is used for soccer, lacrosse, summer camps and numerous other sports and activities).


"The turf is exactly where Sportexe® said it would be in terms of performance, cushioning, aesthetics," said McHugh. "At this rate we anticipate using it for many years to come."

McHugh said he's also been very pleased with Sportexe's customer service. "The company truly seems to have the customer in mind, from product features and quality through installation and service."

Solly Fulp, vice president and general manager of Cal Sports Properties, echoed McHugh's comments. "Sportexe® has been a wonderful partner - very professional, and the people have been great to work with."

Both men said they would not hesitate to recommend Sportexe to others, and McHugh is already thinking ahead: "When it's time to put in a new surface we'll be curious to see what advancements Sportexe® has made..."