The pit is noted for being a great venue for watching high school football.   Recently, Elder has invested in a new set of turf because the previous set had been worn down to the point of not being safe to play on. The new turf is also much more appealing to the eyes as some new designs have been integrated. If you aren’t blind and you have seen the field then you should know what I’m referring too. Both end zones are now purple and one side says ELDER while the other says PANTHERS.

This is the first ever official makeover for the turf in the Pit. We have had it for 10 years now, the first year being 2005, and it is a well-deserved renovation. This restoration however did come at a hefty price of the lower six figures, but it was a bargain due to the fact that it was not a complete renovation. The pit already had the gravel and the draining system, which cost the majority of the overall price so ultimately is was well below half the cost it could’ve been.

Despite many claims, the Pit was in fact not always turf. On top of that, Mr. Dabbelt informed us that there was actually an open sewer lid on one side of the field that eventually became a huge problem. Well over 10 years ago they had to have it fixed and in order to do that they had to find the source of the issue. In the basement where there seems to be a newer looking slab of concrete was actually where the crew members had to cut up. Once they did that they stuck a camera down the pipes and fixed the issue. One of those workers who worked on that decades ago is actually one the construction people who did the turf just this past week.

The new turf is extremely nice and many of the senior football players agree, despite not being able to play on it. We interviewed senior Joe Isham, while training his flow, he told us, “The turf was getting old, and you could feel it. It actually failed an impact test and became dangerous, that is the main reason why we have to replace it”. When asking his thoughts he was a little bit upset that the lacrosse seniors would get to use it this upcoming season.

However, if you are a senior reading this and you are sad about leaving the old pit behind you should think again. Elder is offering pieces of turf that have been framed that look amazing. You can actually touch and feel the piece because it is sticking out, but it will take a chunk of change out of your pocket. Along with the piece of turf you get to choose a picture to put with it. This is a great piece of memorabilia that will signify many memorable games in which the Panthers were victories.