Prairie View A&M to Install State-of-the-Art Field Turf Following Spring Game

PRAIRIE VIEW, Tx — Prairie View A&M University is set to receive a major upgrade to its football playing surface, with Mount Pleasant, Texas-based Symmetry Sports Construction scheduled to begin installation of a new synthetic turf field following the Panthers’ Spring Game this Friday.

Head coach Tremaine Jackson confirmed the project in an interview with HBCU Legends, saying the current surface, which has been in place for approximately 10 years, had “reached the end of its useful life.”

“It’s been 10 years since we’ve been in the stadium, and the average turf project only lasts about 10 years,” Jackson said. “And that’s with game use and other use. We’ve been practicing here, we’ve played high school games here, we’ve played our games here. So the turf has been overused.”

Symmetry Sports Construction, founded in 2010 and one of the largest sports field construction companies in Texas, will handle the project. Jackson said crews are expected to begin demolition work almost immediately after the spring game.

“They’re going to have them tools in here digging up turf,” Jackson said. “And I think the way we were able to get this done will be so much of an upgrade.”

Brand new turf coming to Panther Stadium‼️

Can’t wait to see those trucks roll in after the Spring Game… #FTF pic.twitter.com/j6R1cz8HIG
— Tremaine Jackson (@coachjack212) April 14, 2026

A Major Technological Leap

Among the most significant improvements in the new surface is the addition of a shock pad — a layer of cushioning between the turf fibers and the base that was not part of the original installation a decade ago.

“There’s no shock pad underneath our current turf,” Jackson said. “That technology wasn’t what it was today 10 years ago.”

The new installation will also eliminate the rubber crumb infill — the black pellets commonly associated with older-generation synthetic turf — in favor of a modern alternative infill that Jackson described as having a wood-like color appearance.

“No black pellets,” Jackson said. “It’ll look like a wood color. It’s kind of a different type of infield. So you won’t see those little black pellets. [We] won’t go home with the black pellets in our shoes no more.”

Beyond player comfort, the new turf is expected to significantly reduce surface temperatures. Jackson said the shock pad and updated infill combination will cut heat levels by as much as 30 degrees compared to the current field, a meaningful improvement for a program that practices in the heat of the Texas Prairie.

“It’ll cut the heat 30 degrees with the type of infield that we’re using,” he said.

‘Either We Got the Best, or Something Just Like It’

Jackson expressed confidence that the finished product will rank among the premier playing surfaces in Texas at any level.

“There will be no turf field in the state that’s going to be anything like ours — or not comparable,” Jackson said. “We either got something just like the best, or we got the best. And I think that’s necessary for our players. That’s necessary for our school.”

The Panthers’ coach also highlighted the marketing dimension of a high-quality playing surface, noting aerial visibility as a recruiting and branding tool.

“It’s amazing that planes fly over, and so you want to make sure that PVAM pops off on that field,” Jackson said. “Because when I fly, I look down at that stuff. It’s another form of marketing.”

The project comes together through a relationship Jackson has with Symmetry Business Development Manager Jared Hunt, a former football coach who transitioned into the sports field construction industry. The system being installed is an AstroTurf 3DM 60 oz RootZone with a Brock pad and BrockFILL infill.

“We’re excited to work with Coach Jackson and AD Goff at Prairie View A&M University,” Hunt said in a statement. “The system delivers a safer, more consistent playing surface that better replicates natural grass. Compared to traditional black rubber pellet fields, this surface will run significantly cooler, provide more stable footing, and reduce overall wear and tear on athletes. It’s about giving PVAMU a high-performance field that matches the level at which they compete.”

“I think we got the latest and greatest, and I think that Symmetry will be able to use our field to show people what’s next in the world of turf,” Jackson said.

High School Game to Christen New Surface

Before the Panthers take the field for their 2025 season opener, the new turf will be broken in by a high school football game — a detail Jackson called intentional.

“We’re hosting a really big high school game here, and those guys are going to be the first ones in a game situation on the turf,” Jackson said. “I thought that was really necessary that those two schools played here.”

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