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DOLPHIN STADIUM UNDERGOES THREE TRANSFORMATIONS IN EIGHT DAYS AS IT HOSTS THREE BIG NATIONAL EVENTS
Miami Gardens, FL – Dolphin Stadium has undergone three transformations in the last eight days in order to set the stage for three big national events – the FedEx Orange Bowl game on Jan. 1, Miami Dolphins playoff game on Jan. 4th and the BCS championship game on Jan. 8th. Working through the night, and in some cases double shifts, stadium crews and vendors have changed over the stadium décor, field logos, signage and staging for various entertainment areas three times in preparation for these national spectacles.
Among the most significant undertaking has been the extreme makeover of the field for the three games. After the final regular season Miami Dolphins game on December 14, the entire football field was replaced for the FedEx Orange Bowl on January 1st. New sod was shipped in and installed. The 75th Anniversary FedEx Orange Bowl logo was painted on the 50-yard line, as was the FedEx logo on the 20-yard line and the team logos on the end zones.
Immediately following the game, the stadium grounds crew began preparing for the Dolphins playoff game which was taking place three days on January 4th. Rather than painting new logos on top of the existing logos, which is common practice by many other stadiums, Dolphin Stadium took an unconventional route; that is, to replace and repaint all of the sod where logos were painted. This undertaking included removing the sod in the end zones, around the logo on the center of the field and around the logos on the 20-yard line, leveling the entire field, installing the new sod in the areas where it was removed, stenciling logos, and painting the new logos. The entire process was performed twice, once for the Dolphins playoff game and a second time for the BCS game.
“In partnership with the Orange Bowl Committee and Miami Dolphins, we decided that the best solution was to remove the painted sod, install fresh sod and paint new logos in order for the field to reflect the magnitude of each event,” said Bruce Schulze, Dolphin Stadium president. “It’s extremely important to us that the field be customized for each game, that it be in the best possible condition for the players, and for the fans to feel that the stadium is dressed up fittingly for the event they are attending,” added Schulze.
Dolphin Stadium will have plenty of opportunities in the next year to continue to take on such high profile challenges. In a few weeks it will host the Monster Jam truck show, with giant trucks performing high-flying stunts on the very same field the stadium so painstakingly manicured, followed by the second round of the World Baseball Classic in March, Florida Marlins baseball starting in April, Miami Dolphins and University of Miami football in the fall, and in 2010, the stadium will be in the international spotlight as Dolphin Stadium will be the first venue to host the combination of the Pro Bowl and Super Bowl.
