Maine Maritime Academy’s Ritchie Field will have a new look this fall.

Sprinturf, a synthetic turf fiber with an all-rubber infill, will replace the 13-year-old knitted nylon artificial surface similar to AstroTurf.

“The old surface served the academy extremely well but it needed to be replaced and we wanted an infill surface,” MMA athletic director Jim Dyer said of the facility which in 1993 became the state’s first artificial turf athletic field.

“Sprinturf is much softer and smoother. It’s much more grass-like than the knitted nylon turf.”

The infill system features rubber pellets at the base of the synthetic grass fibers.

Sprinturf is used at the domed Maine Sports Complex in Hampden.

Dyer said the project was put out to bid and Sprinturf had the low bid.

“It’s certainly a good product. We’re happy to be getting it,” said Dyer.

He said it will cost the school approximately $450,000.

Dyer said the price wasn’t as high as it could have been “because the existing drainage they put in for the old field is in great condition.”

He added that they are going to widen the field by two yards, one yard on each side, to accommodate the soccer players.

“We don’t want them falling off the edge,” said Dyer.

With the old field, there was just one yard from the touch line to the bleachers. And assistant referees are required to run the lines during the game.

The field is used for football, men’s and women’s soccer, lacrosse and softball.

“We also use it for intramurals, club sport activities, midshipmen marching activities and physical fitness classes. And local schools use it for phys ed classes and sports. It gets tremendous use,” said Dyer.

Dyer said the Sprinturf is being installed now and the project should be complete “by the end of this week or the beginning of next week.”

That isn’t the only project on campus.

The Smith Gymnasium floor is being sanded down, refinished and repainted.

“And they’re going to tighten up the dead spots,” added Dyer, who expects that to be completed within two weeks in time for volleyball season.