College of the Canyons officials unveiled a new, state-of-the-art soccer field Tuesday before a pair of conference soccer matches.

Santa Clarita Community College District Board of Trustees, College of the Canyons Chancellor Dr. Dianne G. Van Hook and the COC Athletics Department is hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially unveil the college’s new state-of-the-art field turf soccer facility.

KHTS AM-1220 is streaming the ribbon-cutting live on the Facebook page.

“This is truly an exciting, and historic day for College of the Canyons and our Athletics Department as we open what we believe to be the premiere soccer facility in the Santa Clarita Valley,” said Chuck Lyon, Interim Dean of Physical Education, Kinesiology and Athletics and Athletic Director at the college. “This state-of-the-art field will provide a new home for the COC men’s and women’s soccer programs, and a new playing venue for the thousands of youth soccer players across this valley.”

The field was completed as a partnership between the Santa Clarita Community College District, the Castaic Lake Water Agency (CLWA) and the City of Santa Clarita, according to the college.

The nearly $2 million field turf installation project was designed to conserve water and reduce field maintenance costs, while providing the COC men’s and women’s soccer programs — and youth soccer players from across the region — with the SCV’s premiere soccer facility.

The dimensions of the new turf field meet playing requirements set forth by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

In addition, the state-of-the-art FieldTurf Revolution 360 playing surface and infill system provides athletes with a safe, high-performance playing surface, which provides the same biomechanical properties as natural grass when athletes cut, plant and release throughout the course of competition.

The same type of artificial turf is utilized by Division I schools and professional sports franchises in the NFL and MLS.

The project also included the installation of four new Musco LED stadium lights that will help reduce energy costs and provide guaranteed light levels, while also allowing for the scheduling of more evening games and practices. The COC soccer field is one of only a handful of athletic facilities on the west coast to feature this type of sports-lighting system.

Musco LED lighting systems are also utilized at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and Petco Park in San Diego.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by two Western State Conference (WSC) soccer matches.

• COC women’s soccer vs. Victor Valley College at 4 p.m.
• COC men’s soccer vs. Bakersfield College at 7:30 p.m.

The COC soccer facility is located between Cougar Stadium and the West P.E. Athletic Facility adjacent to the tennis courts.

The above information was provided to KHTS AM-1220 via a news release.