This story was originally published in the first edition of The Lion’s Tale (October 1, 2019).

Astroturf’s website outlines the cost estimates for these types of projects. The company claims it’s about $6 per square foot to resurface a field, plus another $20,000-$50,000 in contingency costs. Given that the average high school football field is around 57,600 square feet, these types of renovations can cost anywhere between $350,000 to $400,000.

Dr. Trent Daniel, the principal at OHS, said that the turf was financed through loans from The Citizens Bank of Florida and the Oviedo High School Booster Club.

According to Andrew Morgan, assistant principle at OHS, the turf should be paid off in four to five years, but that timeline is not set in stone. “We are trying hard to pay it off before then,” he said.

The old football turf lasted 8 years, but Morgan said he expects that this new one should last much longer, as long as the school keeps up proper maintenance. It is expected that the turf will last between 12 and 14 years before needing replacement again.

To help pay off the loan, the field can be rented out to companies and organizations that want to use the space.

For each hour the field is used, the school typically pockets around $100 after fees are taken out. While some of the money goes into paying off the field, portions of it are also used to support other athletic programs at the school.