MONTGOMERY -- Alabama State University has started work to replace the sod on its football practice field with artificial turf, the first phase of a planned $7 million renovation of the football complex.

The $600,000 practice field project should be completed by the end of July.

 “This is a great improvement over the existing grass field because the synthetic field material will allow the team to practice year round, and is identical to the type of surface our team plays on throughout the Southwestern Athletic Conference,” said Kippy Tate, ASU's vice president for buildings and grounds.

Tate and ASU President William Harris were present Friday morning as a fleet of earth-moving equipment converged on ASU to scoop up all the old sod and dirt in preparation for the installation of the new synthetic field material.

“This is just the beginning of the first phase of a complete renovation of our football complex, which later will include a state-of-the-art football complex,” Harris said.