Email following complaint about Toyota Stadium......very stand up!

[WYOBISONMAN]

I just got this email after sending a complaint to Mayor Maso about the field and the scoreboard. It seems pretty darn stand-up to me. I guess let's see how they do in 2014 and 15..... I think it is pretty damn straight shooting to take the time and email a fan.

Dear Mr. Herreid,

My name is John Wagner and I am President of Hunt Sports Group which is the operating entity which oversees Toyota Stadium and FC Dallas. I work closely with Mayor Maso, City of Frisco and Southland Conference to host the NCAA Championship Game. In addition, I grew up in South Dakota and my father grew up in North Dakota. So needless to say, these past 3 years have been exciting to see the great fans of NDSU come down to Frisco to make this an annual trek to the event.

As you stated, the field conditions for Saturday’s game were very poor. We take great pride in delivering a venue worthy of the championship game, the NCAA and the teams coming into play at Toyota Stadium. Hopefully you experienced those standards in your first two years of attending the Championship game and saw the quality of the natural grass surface.

Our grounds crew did re-sod beginning on November 18th a wider area than in the past in hopes of having a comparable field as in years past. Unfortunately, the 55 days leading up to the kickoff were much colder and icey than any of the previous 3 years. While 80% of the re-sod did take, the 20% which tore up became the eyesore that it was. We did not experience the root growth required to stabilize as in the past. Our grounds staff are highly accomplished grass veterans and they take what happened on Saturday very seriously. FC Dallas manage over 35 full sized grass fields in the DFW area and our grounds staff will assess the issues and it will be corrected in 2015.

In regard to the video board, I was aware of the opening video being restarted but did not hear about the first down issue. I will look into those two issues.

That is the explanation but we take full responsibility for the field conditions. I just ask that if NDSU will make the championship game for the fourth time in a row - let us show that we will address your concerns. Mayor Maso is a great spokesman for Frisco and it is a great location for the championship game! This is the right place for this Championship game.

I am available for a phone call to discuss with you or anyone else who has a concern regarding the conditions of the field and stadium. My cell is xxx.xxx.xxx and my office is xxx.xxx.xxx. My assistant is xxx.
Please call me if you would like to discuss further.

Best regards,

John Wagner

Hunt Sports Group

[runtheoption]

Whoa! Nice reply...I doubt the NCAA will respond individually to us that filled out the survey, but if the NCAA, Toyota Stadium, and the City of Frisco get together after hearing complaints coming at all of them from numerous fans , hopefully it will get worked out.

[GradBison]

Wow this bugs me even more now... this whole thing could've been avoided by resodding after they knew the grass didn't take.
I figured they didn't do that to cut down on cost. If it's true that only 20% of the sod didn't take, replacing that portion couldn't have been a huge expense! Disappointed they didn't do that.

[WYOBISONMAN]

Well, everyone is entitled to a few mistakes. You know, most will forget you stumbled if you are solid in the following steps. I am sure willing to give them a chance......

[56BISON73]

I find it interesting that the field where the championship game was played last night had a brand new field installed ON TOP of the old field and there were no issues. Plus that new field was to be removed after the game was played.

[IBleedYellow]

We all need to remember that the grass was amazing 2 years ago. They know what they are doing and got caught with a mistake once.

Sent from my XT1053 using Tapatalk

[tjbison]

We all need to remember that the grass was amazing 2 years ago. They know what they are doing and got caught with a mistake once.

Sent from my XT1053 using Tapatalk

they also knew the sod was bad and did nothing to fix it in 55 days, I find that really sad

[BisonAccountant44]

they also knew the sod was bad and did nothing to fix it in 55 days, I find that really sad

This is what bugs me the most about it. Not that it happened, but that they've had a pretty good idea that it was going to happen since November, and didn't do anything to fix it.

[BisonCountry]

Without heat coils in the field, I'm not sure they could do anything to fix it. The sod just never had the temps to root properly given the cold temps they experienced in November/December.

Since I was intrigued on how they could re-sod the Rose Bowl in a 5 day span and expect the sod to root on top of existing sod I did some research. The answer is....it doesn't. For those interested:Link

[Pards Rule]

Wow this bugs me even more now... this whole thing could've been avoided by resodding after they knew the grass didn't take.
I figured they didn't do that to cut down on cost. If it's true that only 20% of the sod didn't take, replacing that portion couldn't have been a huge expense! Disappointed they didn't do that.

I think the 20% wasnt in bulk > it was intermittent across the field and they didnt know what 20% until it had been overturned during the game that it hadn't rooted. Give Frisco the pass. It was a plan that was zulued by the weather. They wont make that mistake agian!