The Texas A&M Aggies will have a new grass field when they return for their next home game on Oct. 11 against the Ole Miss Rebels.
School officials confirmed that a new surface will be installed later this month after field conditions became a concern during Texas A&M's 38-10 win over Rice on Saturday.
Texas A&M chancellor John Sharp asked his staff and the Kyle Field redevelopment team to review alternatives and the school reached the decision on Thursday, according to vice chancellor of marketing and communications Steve Moore.
The Bryan-College Station Eagle first reported the story on Thursday.
The current grass field, which was newly installed this summer as part of the ongoing renovation at Kyle Field, suffered last week from torrential rain that fell in College Station, Texas, Friday night.
The field, which didn't appear to be an issue in the Aggies' home opener against Lamar on Sept. 6, suffered large divots that needed regular replacement during the Rice game last week.
"We had a record amount of rainfall in a short period of time, (measured at 7-10 inches) which also caused Midnight Yell practice to be cancelled as well," Moore said in an e-mail. "That was an extraordinary event that damaged the new soil and root system."
Moore called the downpour a "unique event" and the timing of it "especially harmful."
The installation of the new surface, which was purchased from Carolina Green Corporation, an athletic field construction company, for $300,000. Installation of the new surface will begin on Sept. 29 and takes two days to install, giving the Aggies 10 days for the field to be in place before the Aggies host the Rebels.
Moore said the new grass surface has advantages over the current one.
"The new turf system has an established root system and a thick base which makes it both heavier and more stable," Moore said. "It has been used successfully this year in the NFL, most recently before the Titans and Cowboys played with great results."