Winston-Salem State University’s athletic director has issued a public apology after a video of crooked, unevenly painted hash marks on the field at Bowman Gray Stadium spread widely online ahead of last weekend’s football game.
A TikTok clip showing an unidentified worker painting the sideline hash marks at the stadium drew more than 2 million views within a day of being posted. The footage shows the worker painting a jagged line, stepping back to look at it, then pacing off the next mark with a few long strides before laying down more paint.
Fans and team staff who were already in the stadium reacted with surprise at the uneven markings, which remained on the field when Winston-Salem State played its home game hours later.
Athletic Director Eric Burns responded to the backlash in a statement posted to social media on Tuesday evening.
“The field markings at our last home game fell short of WSSU athletics’ standards, and I take responsibility,” Burns said. “We’ve secured additional field preparation support and implemented new checks to ensure this is addressed before our next home game. Our student-athletes and Ram Nation deserve the highest standard, and we are committed to meeting it every time.”
Burns said the university has brought in additional support for field preparation and put new checks in place ahead of the Rams’ next home game.
Winston-Salem State enters this weekend’s matchup with a 0-6 record on the season.
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