At the 2025 Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association (TOCA) Conference held in Charleston earlier this spring, K.C. Bell, Senior Director of Athletic Grounds at Clemson University, joined a panel of turfgrass industry professionals to share the real-world demands of managing natural grass in high-profile venues. He spoke candidly about what it takes to protect field integrity while accommodating a growing list of events, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the day-to-day pressures facing athletic grounds crews.
K.C. Bell, Senior Director of Athletic Grounds at Clemson University.
Bell started his Clemson career at The Walker Golf Course after graduating from Anderson University. Eighteen years ago, he became Assistant Director of Athletic Grounds, and for the past two years, he’s led the program as senior director. Today, he manages 70 acres of turfgrass and oversees a five-person crew responsible for every Clemson athletic field and stadium.
Over time, Bell has seen the demands on his team grow as the athletic department looks beyond game-day ticket sales to generate additional revenue. Ticketed events, summer and training camps, concerts, programs and outside facility rentals all compete for space on the calendar. His crew works year-round to keep every playing surface in top condition despite the increased usage.
“There’s no more downtime in college athletics. There used to be some downtime to aerify, topdress or sand the fields,” he reflected. “Now, sports fields are expected to look like they do during the regular season all year long and their window to work on the grass between events, games and camps is much more challenging than it used to be.”
Bell explained that traditional weeklong youth sports camps, which once helped assistant coaches earn extra income, have largely been replaced by shorter sessions and elite or specialty camps, further compressing the maintenance window between events.
Like their NFL and MLB counterparts, collegiate venues are increasingly expected to host nontraditional events. “We’re not just sports turf managers anymore, we’re also helping maintain these fields for events too,” Bell said.
High-Profile Events in Death Valley
Death Valley, Clemson University’s football field, is nearly two acres of NorthBridge® Bermudagrass grown at Green Acres Turf Farm in South Carolina. Bell converted the stadium from 419 to NorthBridge last football season for its durability under heavy use and said the more aggressive grass has met the venue's demands.
NorthBridge® Bermudagrass (right) alongside 419 in the end zones (left) at Death Valley.
After football season, the stadium was converted into a multi-level golf range for a Stadium Golf event, with participants teeing off from the stands toward targets on the field. The setup required protecting the grass from repeated impacts, repositioning targets and keeping the surface playable for the next transition.
Clemson’s Death Valley after installation of NorthBridge® Bermudagrass from Green Acres Turf Farm ahead of the 2024 football season.
By April, the field was transformed again into a baseball field for the Savannah Bananas, a traveling team known for their fast-paced “Banana Ball” games that mix baseball with fan entertainment. Bell’s crew removed grass in specific areas, installed a sandier clay mix for the infield and adjusted field markings to fit baseball dimensions. Planning began the previous fall and covered everything from baselines to product selection.
The photos above show the transformation of Death Valley from a football field into a baseball diamond to host the Savannah Bananas.
Bell’s staff worked closely with the Bananas’ leadership to ensure paint, turfgrass and field conditions met expectations for both players and broadcast cameras. That one-day show drew a sellout crowd of 81,000, the largest in Banana Ball history. Once the game wrapped, Bell’s crew had to shift back into football mode with only a short turnaround before summer conditioning.
A planned concert the weekend after the Bananas game in Death Valley was ultimately canceled. Bell joked that the event might have helped fund the replacement of the stadium’s 24-year-old irrigation system. With 130 days of operation last year and drops in humidity, the field faced added water pressures that Bell and his crew worked hard to overcome.
Events like the Stadium Golf setup, the Savannah Bananas game and even planned concerts are just a few examples of how his crew has to pivot and prepare for whatever comes next. Bell noted that quick turnarounds like these are now common and require precision teamwork to keep the field ready for each new challenge.
The photos above show Clemson’s Death Valley transformed into a Stadium Golf course, complete with on-field targets and tee boxes set high in the stands.
Clemson Traditions on Turfgrass
One of the biggest challenges is not an event at all. It is a Clemson tradition. After football games, fans are allowed onto the field. On rare occasions, families have scattered a loved one’s ashes on the grass, which kills the grass instantly and requires immediate repair. Bell said he understands they are choosing the location based on cherished memories and loyalty to the school, but he hopes they will consider honoring them in another way that does not compromise field quality.
Clemson fans taking part in the post-game tradition of storming the field.
“We actually have more damage after the game than during,” Bell said. “Most schools get special waivers, but there are certain practices we have to follow.”
With Clemson football in the national spotlight, winning conference titles and appearing in major postseason games in recent years, Bell’s team must ensure the field is green, safe and ready week after week in the fall.
Additional Clemson Sports Facilities
Beyond the events in Death Valley, Clemson’s other athletic venues host a variety of teams, games and championships throughout the year. The university has staged NCAA baseball regionals 19 times since 1980, including the last three consecutive seasons, and recently hosted matches for the Greenville Triumph Soccer Club at Historic Riggs Field.
The photos above highlight the variety of athletic fields across Clemson University, from soccer and baseball to softball and practice facilities.
Bell’s crew manages intramural and practice fields, the Jeremy Meadows Softball Field and other surfaces across campus. They repurpose materials whenever possible, recycling sod and topsoil removed from Death Valley into other campus fields. Even a paved parking lot gets temporarily converted into a football practice field before camp each year.
Through the constant cycle of games, camps and special events, Bell says the work is demanding but rewarding. He is proud of the fields his crew maintains and the role they play in Clemson’s success, both on the scoreboard and in creating memorable experiences for athletes and fans. For Bell, balancing field integrity with event demand is more than a job. It is the standard his team works to meet every day.
This article was written by Cecilia Johnson.
