After the Towson University football program enjoyed its best season since joining the Atlantic 10 Conference, its home field will be getting a new look for the 2007 season.
The Tigers went 7-4 overall, 4-4 in conference, but drew an average of just 4,592 fans per game. So the Towson athletic department will look to bring in some more fans from the surrounding community, with a strong program and an entertaining venue as the drawing card.
Towson athletic director Mike Hermann is hoping to install new field turf and a video scoreboard at Unitas Stadium in time for the 2007 football season.
“The plan is to replace the artificial surface with the field turf this summer as soon as the men?s lacrosse season ends,” Hermann said.
The scoreboard deal is still up in the air, depending on video board company Daktronics and its ability to find corporate sponsors to develop the project. Aside from the scoreboard, “there will be some smaller steps taken to give the stadium a more collegiate feel,” including new signage, flags and color, according to Hermann.
The Tigers finished third in the A-10 South Division but only came in 10th out of 12 in average attendance. Hermann, however, does not attribute the low attendance average to a disinterested student body. The season average of 4,592 is up from the 27-year program average of 3,190.
“I think the student support, with the exception of the William & Mary game, was great,” Hermann said. “A lot of that has been driven by students.”
The Towson fan group, T-Unit, has spawned on-campus fan events, and the athletic department responded with student sections at football and basketball games. But when Towson joined the Atlantic 10 in 2004, fans were left having to get used to new rivalries. Aside from the homecoming and Delaware games, Tiger football fans are still getting a grasp on their in-conference foes.
“It takes time for people to learn,” Towson coach Gordy Combs said.
For Combs, the biggest change will be the turf. Towson moved to the new facility in 1978 after playing nine seasons at Burdick Field at the center of campus.
“I just think it?s time,” he said. “I understand that [other colleges] use [our turf] in recruiting against us. It won?t be a factor anymore.”
CHANGES AT UNITAS
» Field turf will replace AstroTurf in summer 2007.
» A new scoreboard is scheduled to replace the current end zone scoreboard, and another scoreboard could be installed at the opposite end zone.
» New banners, flags and advertising are to be placed around the stadium.
» A patio is being added on the third level of the Minnegan Field House outside the football offices.
