Kansas University’s soccer team still doesn’t have a playable home field, and probably won’t for at least another two weeks.
The bluegrass on SuperTarget Field, located south of Anschutz Pavilion on 19th Street, suffered from the summer’s numerous 100-degree plus days and lack of rain.
“We fixed the field in August, but it didn’t work because of the heat,” said Richard Konzem of the KU athletics department.
SuperTarget Field was declared unplayable for last weekend’s Jayhawk Classic, forcing a shift of the four-team tourney to Blue Valley Northwest in Overland Park.
On Thursday, workmen laid sod in three afflicted areas at SuperTarget Field.
“I would think with a break in the weather,” Konzem said, “we’ll be able to use the field in a week to 10 days.”
Kansas is scheduled to play at Oklahoma tonight, then return home to meet Oklahoma State on Sunday afternoon. KU officials announced Thursday that the OSU game will be played at the Olathe District Activities Complex.
KU soccer coach Mark Francis checked the fields at Youth Sports Inc., home of Lawrence High and Free State High’s soccer teams, but found them wanting.
“They aren’t much better than ours,” Francis said.
Free State High has a soccer field, but Francis said he didn’t want to play there, either.
Kansas has two home games scheduled the following weekend against Iowa State on Sept. 29 and Nebraska on Oct. 1.
Quite likely, the new sod at SuperTarget Field won’t be ready by then. “It would be a best-case scenario,” Konzem said.
With its home field unavailable, the KU soccer team has been practicing on one of the adjacent football practice fields.
