Construction has begun on a new field hockey complex out on Game Farm Rd. From what I gather it will be artificial turf field, but I'm not positive on that. There will also be constructing a building that will have locker rooms and other amenities. They are also going to build out a large parking lot in the Game Farm Rd complex to accommodate more parking for baseball games.
Yes, synthetic turf. https://ithacavoice.org/2024/11/cornell-pitches-new-field-hockey-facility-in-town-of-ithaca/
I am about to go on a rant here. If it goes too far, feel feel to change my username to BillLover. From too many sides of this discussion, there are people with advanced degrees experiencing short-term rectal-cranial inversion. They liken +1 turf fields to a Chernobyl-level disaster (And funny how a generation ago "turf" meant grass and now it's shorthand for "artificial turf." )
- The field hockey field takes up one acre.
- Ithaca town and city comprise 30 square miles (29 excluding water).
- A square mile is 640 acres. Ithaca is then 19,200 acres.
- The field hockey field is such a small amount many calculators resort to exponential
- Relative to Ithaca's size, that field is 0.00005 of Ithaca, or 0.005% of Ithaca.
- Grass fields require maintenance and chemical fertilizers.
- Artificial turf fields can take more use than grass fields, although I recall the now-departed field hockey field had warning signs that it was field-hockey-only.
- Over the arc of the first artificial fields of the late 1960s to now, AstroTurf et al has gone from baubles of the biggest college football programs, and the pros, to the opposite. High schools and even youth sports leagues find turf fields are cheaper to maintain over the 10-year lives. You just spread on more rubber granules (infill) that cushion the landing.)
On the topic of new non-football fields for the Ivies and other top non-football programs:
We're seeing schools that build grassy slopes on one side of the field that allow students and other fans to bring blankets, hang out, enjoy the event if they don't want the stands on the opposite side. In addition to some of our lacrosse competitors of this year and the past, I recall when we played football at Marist, the opposite side of the field was beautifully sloped. Very nice.
I also wish Cornell spent a little more money and elevated the stands so the first row is 6 or 8 field above field level. Better view, slight additional up-front cost, but I fear a Cornell worries too much about the initial cost.
Gad, I wish I left publishing circa 2000 and moved to Silicon Valley, made my fortune, and I could fix this all with a couple checks. Instead, I could endow perhaps a nicer table for the lower level press box at Lynah, which is defined by the word "rickety." Next time, I'm bringing duct tape to keep my laptop from sliding off.
I see the remote fields are now adding more parking. The idea that a Cornell sports field needed parking for fifty cars (and everyone else took a shuttle or something) was insanely low.
I wonder if in fifty years *every* Cornell sports field is out there.
Status report from https://www.cornellsun.com/article/2025/07/field-hockey-s-new-turf-is-unlikely-to-be-ready-for-the-start-of-the-upcoming-season
Quote from: David HardingStatus report from https://www.cornellsun.com/article/2025/07/field-hockey-s-new-turf-is-unlikely-to-be-ready-for-the-start-of-the-upcoming-season
I guess I misunderstood, but I didn't realize the indoor practice facility was separate from Meing.
Quote from: WederQuote from: David HardingStatus report from https://www.cornellsun.com/article/2025/07/field-hockey-s-new-turf-is-unlikely-to-be-ready-for-the-start-of-the-upcoming-season
I guess I misunderstood, but I didn't realize the indoor practice facility was separate from Meing.
The new field hockey facility is being built at the Game Farm Road athletic complex location like where Booth Field is for baseball. The Meinig Fieldhouse was going to have the field hockey field next to it, but other varsity teams and intramural play will now have a new multi-use field that will be built right next to the new fieldhouse.
Thanks to Al DeFlorio's mention of Jane McNally in the Sun sports beat thread, I see that the new field is in use even though construction is not yet complete.
https://cornellbigred.com/news/2025/9/25/field-hockey-to-debut-new-marsha-dodson-field-on-friday-vs-17-yale.aspx
https://www.cornellsun.com/article/2025/09/field-hockeys-new-marsha-dodson-field-is-complete-after-near-year-long-delay
https://cornellbigred.com/news/2025/9/26/field-hockey-shuts-out-no-17-yale-in-historic-dodson-field-debut.aspx
Jane had her third shutout of the year!
Quote from: David HardingThanks to Al DeFlorio's mention of Jane McNally in the Sun sports beat thread, I see that the new field is in use even though construction is not yet complete.
https://cornellbigred.com/news/2025/9/25/field-hockey-to-debut-new-marsha-dodson-field-on-friday-vs-17-yale.aspx
https://www.cornellsun.com/article/2025/09/field-hockeys-new-marsha-dodson-field-is-complete-after-near-year-long-delay
https://cornellbigred.com/news/2025/9/26/field-hockey-shuts-out-no-17-yale-in-historic-dodson-field-debut.aspx
Jane had her third shutout of the year!
Yale came into the game unbeaten and ranked #17 so this was a particularly impressive shutout.
Quote from: dag14Quote from: David HardingThanks to Al DeFlorio's mention of Jane McNally in the Sun sports beat thread, I see that the new field is in use even though construction is not yet complete.
https://cornellbigred.com/news/2025/9/25/field-hockey-to-debut-new-marsha-dodson-field-on-friday-vs-17-yale.aspx
https://www.cornellsun.com/article/2025/09/field-hockeys-new-marsha-dodson-field-is-complete-after-near-year-long-delay
https://cornellbigred.com/news/2025/9/26/field-hockey-shuts-out-no-17-yale-in-historic-dodson-field-debut.aspx
Jane had her third shutout of the year!
Yale came into the game unbeaten and ranked #17 so this was a particularly impressive shutout.
Hot damn! Well done.