Scrappy Moore Field, after years of
renovations, can finally be called one of the more picturesque football practice
fields in the Southeast, if not the country.
The Mocs' practice area has
been shifted north several feet with the new segment addition of the Tennessee
Riverwalk, but the lost amount of practice area is insignificant. A new privacy
fence has been installed around the field, which also sports a new natural grass
turf, a new drainage system and a new observation/video tower to review
practices. The field is only a five-minute walk from the football locker room in
the UTC McKenzie Arena.
The Riverwalk currently begins at the downtown
Tennessee Aquarium, crawls along the Tennessee River through the Bluff View Art
District, winds its way down Riverside Drive, then past the Manker Patten Tennis
Center, around the practice field and into a protected wetland area.
When completed, the Riverwalk will run 12 miles, from Moccasin Bend at
the foot of Lookout Mountain to Chickamauga Dam.
The area surrounding
Scrappy Moore Field is as enjoyable and scenic as other areas of the Riverwalk.
The Riverwalk is the only thing that stands between the practice field and the
mighty Tennessee River.
The football team, the University, the Manker
Patten Tennis Center and the City of Chattanooga all benefit from the
beautification project.