This field in Idaho has purple turf made of recycled tires, and it's stunning

You’ve never seen a baseball field like this before.

Ballparks are a staple of the sport’s charm. From the Green Monster at Fenway Park to the ivy-clad walls at Wrigley Field, all 30 Major League parks are defined by their nuances and novelties. It’s part of what makes going to a new ballpark so invigorating.

Wolfe Field takes that idea to a whole new level.

Travel to Caldwell, Idaho — the home of the College of Idaho Yotes — and you can’t miss it. This one-of-a-kind artificial turf playing surface is part purple, with the pitching mound and batter’s box among the areas that represent the school’s primary color.

Yes, you read that right.

“When people see purple, we want them to think of the College of Idaho,” said Reagan Rossi, the school’s Vice President of Athletics, in 2024.

Rossi noted that the College of Idaho is often referred to as the state’s “best-kept secret.” The Yotes wanted to change that.

They drew initial inspiration from another iconic playing surface in Idaho: Albertsons Stadium, home of the Boise State football team. The Broncos installed their iconic blue turf in 1986 to create a unique identity and draw national attention. It’s since become one of the most easily-recognizable venues in the United States.

When the Yotes first replaced the artificial turf at Wolfe Field in the summer of 2024, they wanted to make the entire playing surface purple — mirroring Albertsons Stadium. But that didn’t quite look right. They’ve since found the right balance, using green accents along the infield and natural grass in the outfield, complementing the indistinguishable purple.

The purple field is more than just a fun gimmick. It truly means something to the local community in Caldwell, which banded together to turn this vision into a reality.

The artificial turf is made from recycled tires that were donated by members of the community. The tires were reclaimed and shredded by a business that sits just two miles away from campus in Caldwell. Now, many of the fans sitting in the 1,000-seat stadium can say that they played a part in installing Idaho’s very first artificial surface baseball field. And they have the proof to show for it.

This was a practical decision, too. Remember, we’re talking about Idaho, which means that weather is always a threat. Sure enough, it’s easier to clear snow off artificial turf than infield dirt. The playing surface heats up and melts the snow quicker.

The artificial turf has a shelf life of 10 to 12 years, but no one around Caldwell is thinking about what happens next: The purple isn’t going away any time soon. That’s just the way everyone likes it.