Hughes Stadium is no longer a beach.

The old turf at the stadium had ripped and was leaking the sand that was underneath of it. With the new turf there is no sand, only ground rubber.

At the end of the spring semester, the Lion Pride Restoration Project awarded the bid of replacing the old turf to Sprinturf.

The bid to replace the track surface was awarded to Beynon Sports Surfaces. The bids were awarded on April 25, and a groundbreaking festivity was held on April 30.

Work on the stadium started on May 5 by tearing up the old turf and the asphalt underneath. When a percolation test was done to the drainage system, the system failed.

“That’s why they do those tests,” said Sallie Beard, athletics director. “That’s part of the process.”

The crew had to take up the surface and put the surface down again. The process culminated on July 30 when the Sprinturf crews began putting in the first rolls of the new turf.

The Project raised extra money and put in new lights.

“It became apparent the lights were an issue,” Beard said.

“The administration made that decision (to install the lights).”

Beard said 12 hours after the turf was completed unknown individuals took the turf installers’ John Deere Gator for a joy ride around the stadium and cross country course. The individuals attempted to damage the new turf by doing donuts in the turf, knocking over the water cannon in the east side of the field.

Entry was gained by driving through the gate on the southeast roller drive-in gate.

Before doing donuts on the field, the individuals took the Gator through the cross country course knocking over some of the mile markers.

The vandals took the Gator to the top of the stadium and jammed the accelerator, which allowed the Gator to jump three rows of bleachers. The Gator then proceeded a third of the way down the bleachers before turning over on the driver’s side, damaging the Gator and the bleacher it wrecked into. Upon further inspection, the Gator had a twisted frame, broken right front fender, bent hood, broken ignition switch and other minor damages.

Ken Kennedy, manager of safety and security, said the event happened sometime between the hours of midnight and 7 a.m. Aug. 14.

“They tried to damage the turf,” Kennedy said. “The turf was more resilient than anyone thought.”

He said the damage done to the stand is insignificant and the incident is being investigated by the Joplin Police Department and security has given JPD information for its investigation.

Since the incident security has “stepped up security” by having officers checking the perimeter of the stadium once an hour.

The construction of the track surface has been put off until November when football season is over so the surface can’t be damaged during construction.