Finley Stadium is located at 1826 Carter St. in downtown Chattanooga.
UTC quarterback Jacob Huesman gives thanks after scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter of the game against Citadel Saturday at Finley Stadium. UTC won 28-24.
Turf sticks to UTC quarterback Jacob Huesman’s knee.It was a iconic image from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s football season: quarterback Jacob Huesman taking a knee in the end zone and pointing skyward after scoring the game-winning touchdown in the Mocs’ 28-24 come-from-behind win over The Citadel on Oct. 26.
And beside Huesman’s right knee was something that didn’t belong, a roughly four-inch section of Finley Stadium turf sticking up like the lid of a sardine can.
From the Stadium Corp. board to outgoing Finley Stadium executive director Merrill Eckstein to UTC athletic director David Blackburn and Chattanooga Football Club general manager Sean McDaniel — everyone agrees that the artificial surface is approaching the end of its run.
But when the surface will be replaced remains unknown, and remains a big question as Eckstein ends his four-year stretch running Finley and for the new director, Paul Smith. Eckstein said he will remain on as a consultant for the first three months of 2014, to help settle the field work.
The most likely option for the short term is to fix the areas under the turf that are now more like small craters — something that Finley has done several times in recent years. It may be the stadium’s only option until the $700,000-plus is raised to replace the 9-year-old turf, Eckstein said.