CoolPlay expands on typical artificial turf makeup that features thin synthetic plastic fibers made to look like natural grass. Those are sewn together like carpet on top of crumbled rubber or sand, which acts as a shock absorber. The addition of a layer of cork just below the plastic fibers can keep playing surfaces, which can reach more than 150 degrees when exposed to direct sunlight, up to 35 degrees cooler than the alternative, according to FieldTurf's website.

An added bonus of FieldTurf's return to Missoula is the field at Wa-Griz will get a bit of a facelift. Artificial surfaces endure the wear of not only hundreds of hours of football activity, but countless more in community events like this month's University of Montana graduation ceremony. A Montana winter also does a number on the turf.

The combination can lead to an uneven and lumpy playing surface or, after several sustained years of activity, plastic fibers disconnecting all together.

"They'll come in and fluff it back up," Haslam said. "There's wear and tear on it, but it's certainly not breaking off and carrying out on your shoes like the old turf was."