Red & White All Over

Biddle Field's latest renovations brighten up the campus

September 9, 2008

The Red Devils practice on the renovated Biddle Field.

Biddle Field’s end zones now gleam Dickinson red under bright, new lights—part of a recently completed renovation project. Two all-purpose, synthetic FieldTurf playing surfaces, new fencing and an eight-lane track that conforms to NCAA standards for competition also have been added to update and enhance the well-used field.

According to Les Poolman, director of athletics, the improvements have radically altered the character of the west end of the campus: visitors will recognize immediately the signature limestone wall on the corner of West High and Belvedere streets; and with the synthetic turf, the field has become a multi-use facility that allows for more practice time on a cleaner surface. "Before, if we had bad weather," says Poolman, "the [grass] field was pretty much destroyed for the rest of the season." The turf could not have come at a better time as the majority of the opening game, against Grove City College on Sept. 6, was played in a steady rain.

In addition, the newly installed state-of-the-art Musco lighting system features "lights designed to shine on the field and not anywhere else. So you're saving a lot of kilowatts. You could be two blocks away and not even know we have the lights on," says Poolman.

On Sept. 19, the Red Devils will show off their new field under the energy-efficient lights at the college's first-ever night game, a match-up against longtime rival Franklin & Marshall College. In addition to being the 1,000th football game for Dickinson, it also will be the 100th meeting between the Red Devils and the Diplomats.