July 11, 2012
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BERKELEY - The renovated California Memorial Stadium will feature a state-of-the-art Matrix synthetic turf surface when it reopens for Cal's football season-opener against Nevada on Saturday, Sept. 1. The Golden Bears' new playing field will sport a familiar graphic look synonymous with the recent memory of the celebrated facility.
"We believe the Matrix product is the perfect match for our year-round needs," head football coach Jeff Tedford said.
Field installation will begin in late July and is expected to be completed by the middle of August. The turf will be available to all 13 teams housed in the Simpson Center for Student-Athlete High Performance on a year-round basis.
The surface is designed and manufactured by Hellas Sports Construction headquartered in Austin, Texas, with sales and construction offices in Escondido, Calif, and Seattle, Wash., covering California and the Pacific West. Hellas is working with ValleyCrest Landscape to deliver all elements of the new playing field. While specializing in the general construction of sports facilities and synthetic surfaces, Hellas also champions innovative turf manufacturing, base construction, field, track and tennis installation and maintenance. Among the numerous high-profile clients to have the Matrix synthetic turf system are the Dallas Cowboys, the Cotton Bowl, the Sun Bowl, Baylor University and the Alamodome/Valero Bowl.
"Hellas is set to install the best in class Matrix turf product, which will provide the absolute top playing surface available for both Cal and visiting teams that utilize California Memorial Stadium," said Reed J. Seaton, president of Hellas Sports Construction.
The Matrix turf will provide a balance of high performance and sports attributes, optimizing speed and traction on game days and providing softness and shock absorption for the rigors of daily training. The low abrasive qualities of the turf fibers combined with impact cushioning features maximize player safety under all conditions.
The turf surface includes a densely tufted synthetic fiber filled with a blend of crumb rubber and unique silica pea gravel base atop a free draining rubberized shock pad Cushdrain, also installed by Hellas. The surfacing components sit atop an extensive network of subsurface drainage pipes and crushed stone layers designed to carry away surface water from even the heaviest of storms and allow for play in inclement weather.
The project team overseeing this important detail of the Memorial Stadium renovation effort includes: Webcor Builders, general contractor; ValleyCrest Landscaping, field and sitework contractor; Hellas Construction, sports surfacing contractor; and Lloyd Civil and Sports Engineering, field designer.
"We are thrilled to have the Matrix playing surface products for our student-athletes to enjoy, but we are equally excited to have Hellas Construction's expertise and skilled installers attending to every detail," assistant athletic director Bob Milano Jr. said.
Season tickets for Cal's return to a renovated Memorial Stadium in 2012 are currently on sale by calling (800) GO BEARS (800-462-3277), online at californiamemorialstadium.com.
In addition to the Sept. 1 season-opener vs. Nevada, Cal's seven-game home schedule in 2012 includes contests against Pac-12 foes Arizona State, Oregon, Stanford, Washington and UCLA, as well as a non-conference game against Southern Utah.
| 2012 CAL FOOTBALL SCHEDULE |
| DATE | OPPONENT | SITE | TIME | TV |
| Sat. | Sept. 1 | Nevada | Noon PT | Pac-12 Networks |
| Sat. | Sept. 8 | Southern Utah | Noon PT | Pac-12 Networks |
| Sat. | Sept. 15 | at Ohio State | Noon ET/9 a.m. PT | ABC |
| *Sat. | Sept. 22 | at USC | TBA | Pac-12 Networks |
| *Sat. | Sept. 29 | Arizona State | TBA | TBA |
| *#Sat. | Oct. 6 | UCLA | TBA | TBA |
| *Sat. | Oct. 13 | at Washington State | TBA | TBA |
| *Sat. | Oct. 20 | Stanford | TBA | TBA |
| *Sat. | Oct. 27 | at Utah | TBA | TBA |
| *Fri. | Nov. 2 | Washington | 6 p.m. PT | ESPN2 |
| *Sat. | Nov. 10 | Oregon | TBA | TBA |
| *Sat. | Nov. 17 | at Oregon State | TBA | TBA |
| !Fri. | Nov. 30 | Pac 12 Championship Game | TBA | TBA |
Home Games in Bold at Memorial Stadium, Berkeley, CA; *Pac-12 Game; !Pac-12 Championship Game at Home Site of Pac-12 Regular-Season Champion; #Homecoming; All Times Pacific
