The Sports Turf Managers Association, a national organization, named City Park Stadium’s Bobby Gruhn Field its Schools and Parks Football Field of the Year.

Despite the field’s challenges with water restrictions and drought conditions, the organization selected Bobby Gruhn field as field of the year, because of the appearance of its playing surfaces and use of budget and soil management, according to a news release from Gainesville Parks and Recreation Department.

The STMA Field of the Year Award program began in 1992, and fields are selected from three categories: professional, college and university, and schools and parks.

"Judging this year’s applicant pool was very challenging," says Jody Gill, STMA Awards Committee chairman in a news release from the city parks department. "Each year, the level of the applications continues to improve, both in content and visually, and this year was no different."