(Screen Grab/ Youtube)
Athletes at Austin Peay University may have a hard time playing on their football field now that the effort to repair a sinkhole has left a giant crater in the middle of the field.
Here is what you need to know about the massive disruptive hole:
1. The Sinkhole Started out 3 Feet by 5 Feet
ABC News reports that the sinkhole formed in April, while construction workers were building the new stadium house. It was about 3 feet by 5 feet and occupied the border between the track and the field.
2. Efforts to Fix It Created a 40-Foot Crater
TAPE PLAYBACK: Sinkhole at Austin Peay University in Nashville, TN via @NC5 pic.twitter.com/5wpKS4duSL
— CBS Newspath (@cbsnewspath) May 19, 2014
As repair crews began work, their attempt to find stable bedrock — necessary for a lasting fix — proved tricker than expected. Crews had to widen the hole from 3-by-5 feet, to 40 feet deep and 40 feet wide. Once a stable surface has been found deep in beneath the surface, the crew can begin to fill in the hole with rocks and concrete.
3. Sinkholes Are So Common, the School Has a Budget for Them
Here's a view of this massive sinkhole at Austin Peay! Check it out! Don't worry- no injuries. @WSMV pic.twitter.com/v9oIbs4Ezz
— Amber Ungaro (@AmberUngaroWSMV) May 19, 2014
Mike Jenkins, the superintendent for a nearby construction company, told the AP that sinkholes were very common in that part of Tennessee. In fact, he said, there were budgets allocated specifically for sinkhole repair.
Here you can see an interactive map with the a list of all 43 deep sinkholes currently active in Tennessee.
4. The Stadium Opened in 1946
The 10,000-seat Governors Stadium opened in 1946. The city of Clarksville and granted permission to the university to use it. The school officially purchased the facility from the town in 1993, and renovations to the stadium have been ongoing since then.
5. The Tennessee Titans Trained at That Stadium
The Tennessee Titans offense warms up during the Tennessee Titans Training Camp on July 31, 2006, at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee. (Getty)
In 2006, Austin Peay announced its stadium would be the summer training ground for the Tennessee Titans. You can see a picture from that season’s training camp above.
