Jun. 17—It's out with the old and in with the new as work gets underway at Meridian High School's Ray Stadium to replace the playing field's artificial turf and to install a new Jumbotron-style video scoreboard.

The upgrades at Ray Stadium are among several projects ongoing at the high school campus, including construction of a baseball/softball field complex and a new administration entranceway.

"Both of these upgrades to Ray Stadium will be completed by the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year," said Matt Davis, director of public relations for Meridian Public School District.

A crew from Act Global, a leading manufacturer in artificial grass, began the process Monday of removing the stadium's existing synthetic turf playing surface, originally installed in 2012 and resurfaced in 2022. Once the company has removed and disposed of the old turf, work will begin on installing the new artificial turf, Davis said.

The Meridian school board approved a contract with Act Global in April for the project, expected to cost nearly $370,000 and should take a few weeks. The district is financially responsible for the annual upkeep of the surface.

Workers from Mitchell Signs were also at the high school Monday doing preparation work to install the stadium's new state-of-the-art, LED video scoreboard. The new scoreboard will be similar to those found at other 7A stadiums across the state. The old Ray Stadium scoreboard was removed earlier this summer.

"Mitchell Signs is also on site to continue the work to install the new Jumbotron-style scoreboard at Ray Stadium to replace the old scoreboard, which has been in use since the 1980s," Davis said.

Installation of the scoreboard is expected to cost more than $500,000 and is being funded through district money. The district plans to sell sponsorships on the scoreboard to generate marketing revenue.

While the work is being done at Ray Stadium, Meridian High's football team is using the band practice field for summer practices, Davis said. Both projects should be completed by the start of school, depending on the weather.

Meridian High will open its football season against Quitman High School Thursday, Aug. 29, in Ray Stadium.

Contact Glenda Sanders at [email protected].