What Grass Is Being Used for the Super Bowl LVIII Game? Artificial Turf or Natural Grass?

Super Bowl week has arrived, and the NFL is all set for its 58th Super Bowl. The Kansas City Chiefs will be playing against the San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas on February 11 at 6:30 p.m. ET at Allegiant Stadium. As the Chiefs chase their third Super Bowl in five years and the 49ers their first since 1995, the Super Bowl LVIII field is finally ready to go.

In last year’s Super Bowl at State Farm Stadium in Arizona, plenty of players were observed slipping on the grass. So, this time, the league has walked an extra mile for the 1.9 billion stadium’s turf by shipping the finest grass for Sin City’s big weekend. And yes, the football gridiron looks greener.

Here’s the Agrostology behind Super Bowl LVIII turf

Two types of grass fields are used in the NFL games: artificial grass and natural grass. Recent injury reports have cleared that synthetic turf tends to cause more injuries than natural ones. But still, artificial turf is soon becoming much more popular in the league than natural turf.

As of the 2023 season, reports suggest that 14 teams out of 32 do not use real grass. But this time, the field would be greener in Las Vegas. As the countdown for the 58th Super Bowl begins, Joe Pompliano has an update on the status of Allegiant Stadium. Interestingly, the natural grass that’s rolled on Allegiant Stadium for Sunday’s game, “was shipped in from California” and “has been undergoing tests for the last few weeks.”

Las Vegas Journal reported that the grass belongs hybrid Bermuda variety, called “Tahoma 31 Bermuda grass,” which requires special care. Since this variety requires sunlight during the day, it will be moved into the stadium via a “retractable tray” on the gameday.

In January, the NFL echoed its confidence in a grass surface for the Super Bowl. The Athletic’s Tashan Reed reported that NFL Executive Vice President Peter O’Reilly said, “We have brought in, as we do each year, a brand new natural grass surface that is currently installed in the field tray outside Allegiant Stadium. That has been in for a little bit now and is working through all of our standard testing procedures that’ll take place over the time from installation all the way up through the day before, that Saturday right before the game.”

Another NFL executive Vice President, Jeff Miller, emphasized the careful maintenance of the grass surface, with measures taken for hardness, traction, and other factors. They noted that the goal is to avoid a recurrence of the slipping incidents from the previous Super Bowl.

Therefore, they are visualizing and analyzing every factor for the Super Bowl grass, since it is a harvesting process.

How is the Super Bowl grass installed and nurtured?

To ensure the best grass for Super Bowl Sunday, the process starts 18-24 months ahead, usually in Alabama, Georgia, or California, depending on the game’s location. The grass, a hybrid Bermuda variety, grows on a plastic base with minimal soil and sand, making it easier to transport. About a week before the game, the previous grass is removed, and the new one is laid out after leveling the foundation.

The new turf needs time to adjust, and groundskeepers ensure its perfection. Growing Super Bowl grass is challenging due to the expectations of both aesthetics and performance. Suppliers like West Coast Turf provide special care, including blankets, rain tarps, and a specific diet. Las Vegas reportedly experienced a light rainfall, so the stadium is being prepared accordingly.

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After the game, the Super Bowl grass field will be taken out and repurposed. For example, in 2020, it was used on a horse farm’s track and as a filler in a plant nursery.

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