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And now, the games can begin.

Or the preparations for them, at least.

Fitchburg State University’s renovations to Elliot Field recently wrapped up, with the football team getting out on the newly-installed turf Tuesday to prepare for the upcoming season.

The field had undergone several upgrades over the summer, with new artificial turf and track surfaces installed. Now completed, the 1,200-seat venue will be ready for the opening of the fall season in less than 10 days.

While the football team first took to the new turf for practice, it will be the men’s soccer team that hosts the first contest of the 2022-23 athletic year at FSU. The Falcons will welcome Elms College next Thursday at 4 p.m. to christen the new Elliot Field turf with official game action.

The football team gets its first game on the new turf the following night, hosting Dean College for a 7 p.m. tilt. Fitchburg State’s field hockey team opens at home Saturday, Sept. 3, against Anna Maria and the women’s soccer team will be the last of the fall sports programs to play on the refurbished Elliot Field, playing two games on the road — Dean College on Sept. 1 and St. Joseph on Sept. 3 — before returning home on Sept. 6 to host Eastern Connecticut State.

Coming off a rookie season that saw the former Leominster High standout play in 16 contests, Noah Gray will aim to improve on some modest numbers with the Kansas City Chiefs as he continues to learn behind one of the game’s best tight ends.

Behind All-Pro Travis Kelce on the depth chart, the fifth-round pick caught seven balls for 36 yards and a touchdown last season. In the two games this preseason, Gray has snagged a pair of passes for 34 yards, including a 30-yard strike against the Washington Commanders on Aug. 20.

The 6-foot-3, 240-pound tight end and the Chiefs will close out the preseason Thursday night when they host the Green Bay Packers and another former Massachusetts standout — A.J. Dillon, who starred at Lawrence Academy in Groton for four seasons.

Leominster soccer luminary Diego Fagundez and his Austin FC teammates have continued their playoff push, currently sitting in second place in the MLS Western Conference standings with 48 points, trailing only LAFC (57).

Austin, which is 6-2-2 since June 30, clashes with LAFC on Friday night in a battle of the West’s titans.

Fagundez became the 13th player in MLS history to reach 60 goals and 60 assists in a career, notching helper No. 60 on a Julio Cascante marker against San Jose on Aug. 6. On the season, the 27-year-old has five goals and 10 assists in 26 games played.

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