Greenville County high schools are confronting a cascade of delays in the installation of artificial turf on their football fields, forcing several programs to shift their season‑opening games to alternate venues.
Woodmont's New Turf Takes the Field
Woodmont High School celebrated the completion of its state‑of‑the‑art surface on Monday, unveiling a field equipped with interactive first‑aid kits and other safety innovations that district officials say will set a new standard for student‑athlete protection.
The Wildcat football team will step onto the freshly finished turf this Friday for its home opener against Southside Christian, a game that was originally slated for the previous week but was moved to accommodate the late finish.
Meanwhile, Hillcrest High School’s scheduled matchup with the Summerville Green Wave has been relocated to Sirrine Stadium, and Fountain Inn High School faces a similar fate, with its home opener set for September 4 now contingent on a finish line by August 31; otherwise the game will be moved to Wade Hampton High School.
Eastside and Riverside high schools remain on standby as they await the completion of their own stadium upgrades, while district facilities chief Scott Carlin acknowledged the difficulty of maintaining grass fields that must transition from football season to spring sports, adding pressure to the turf rollout.
Sprinturf, the contractor tasked with transforming five athletic fields across the county, has not responded to inquiries about the setbacks, and the new surfaces are slated to be shared not only by football teams but also by marching bands and other athletic squads.
The delays underscore a broader challenge for the county’s athletic departments, which must balance urgent game schedules with the promise of upgraded facilities that could benefit a wide range of school programs.