Hofstra was selected to host two of the college lacrosse quarterfinal games on Saturday. Its new turf playing surface proved to be a real problem for Notre Dame, Johns Hopkins, Syracuse and UNC.
The athletes were slipping all over the field!
All four of the visiting college lacrosse programs were forced to deal with the same conditions so they could not use the field as an excuse for a win or a loss. That does not give the NCAA a pass for its selection.
Hofstra installed new turf amid ACL concerns.
Hofstra University is a private research university located in the hotbed lacrosse area of Hempstead, New York. The NCAA selected the Pride in 2020 to host the NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Quarterfinals in 2024 and 2026. Shuart Stadium is considered one of the most elite lacrosse venues in the entire country and actually served as the site of the first-ever lax championship in 1971. It has hosted multiple first round and quarterfinal games over the last 55 years.
However, the field looks different this year than when Hofstra last hosted the quarterfinals in 2024. The Pride installed a new artificial turf field for lacrosse (and softball) in April.
Not only is it a new playing surface, it is a new technology. Hofstra’s new turf does not include infill. “Infill is the small material (typically small rubber pellets and/or sand) that is spread between the plastic blades of fake grass. It is used to help cushion the field and to keep the turf stable.
This new turf is designed to play more like natural grass and to reduce strain on the body— especially the knees. Artificial turf with infill is associated with a much higher ACL injury rates than both natural grass and artificial turf without infill.
But here’s the thing. A new turf field typically takes ~6 to 12 months to settle. Hofstra completed its construction less than two months ago. This is a brand new field…
College lacrosse players were slipping all over the field!
Maybe it was too late for the NCAA to move the quarterfinal games out of Long Island. Maybe it did not foresee the new turf field to be a potential issue for its college lacrosse tournament. I don’t know.
Whatever the reason, Notre Dame played Johns Hopkins at Hofstra on Saturday morning. Syracuse played UNC on the same field not too long thereafter. The turf was slippery.
Johns Hopkins short stick Reece DiCicco lost his footing during a face-off and suffered an injury. He left the field holding his arm after he slipped and fell. Notre Dame head coach Kevin Corrigan expressed his frustration during the broadcast.
“This field is terrible. It is what it is. Both teams are dealing with it.”
The playing surface was just as big of an issue during the game between Syracuse and UNC. Players were sliding all over the field. Their feet would slip out from under them. They couldn’t cut as hard.
Ironically enough, the NCAA selected Scott Stadium in Charlottesville over Rentschler Field in Hartford for the 2026 Final Four and national championship in large part because of the playing surface. It clearly neglected to consider the brand-new turf field at Hofstra or ran out of time to make a change.