Lawrence Academy Announces Plans to Refurbish Murbach Field Turf
By Ander Wildman ‘27
Construction to install new turf carpeting and materials will start in June and end in July, ready for fall activities and pre-season athletes.
GROTON, Mass. — Head of School Dan Scheibe, Asst. Head of School Bob Kramer (Finance & Operations) and the LA Athletics Department today announced that Lawrence Academy will refurbish the artificial turf on Murbach Field.
Administrators will work with Tarkett Sports, which will install the new FieldTurf® over a 3-4 week period starting in mid-June and ending (at the latest) in mid-July, with the field ready for preseason athletes for the upcoming fall season.
Contractors will arrive on campus in early June.
The main objective of the project is to replace the turf “carpet” and address the underlying material.
News about the original artificial surface hit the press in the Fall 2015 edition of the Academy Journal.
“The expected life for this turf was in the ten-to-fourteen-year range,” said Mr. Kramer, who added that it had been in use every year for fall and spring seasons since 2014. “We’ve been continuously evaluating it, and we decided it’s time.
“They (will) pull up the old carpet, take it away, make sure the gravel and drainage underneath is still level, and adjust anything that’s shifted over the past dozen years.”
Athletics, Trustees, and other LA administrators have been working since last summer to propose plans for the new turf.
“The new turf uses the latest advances in technology, especially for safety and playability,” said Kramer. “We consulted with a few different companies and zeroed in on FieldTurf... They’ve done about 3,000 fields worldwide.”
A sample of the new "carpet" resides in the LA Business Office.
Tarkett Sports has installed its fields at Gillette Stadium, Georgia Tech, Lumen Field, Paycor Stadium, and other independent schools, including Tabor Academy and Northfield Mount Hermon School.
New features include Cryogenic (SBR) rubber, silica sand, and sewn-in field lines to ensure quality, consistency, and longevity for football, field hockey, and lacrosse. The field dimensions will stay the same, so it's not regulation for soccer, but it's still available for other sports to train and play on.
But it’s not just the student-athletes who are excited about this news.
“The turf has long served as more than an athletic venue; it is a central gathering place where students come together to play, connect, and experience joy throughout their day,” said Dean of Admissions Mike Polsonetti. “The renewed turf, paired with the soon‑to‑be‑completed Community Commons Project, represents a meaningful investment in the student experience.
“Together, these enhancements will further enrich daily life on campus and support a vibrant experience for all LA families.”
Lawrence Academy is excited to share this news with students, faculty, alumni, and supporters. Further announcements on the progress of the new field will be posted on official websites and social media pages, as well as in the weekly LA Newsletter.
Murbach Field: The view will be similar but the surface will change soon.