The Story Behind Super Bowl Grass

Superbowl Grass

When the Chiefs and the Eagles take to the field at State Farm Stadium Feb. 12 for the Super Bowl, they will be playing on some super grass.

Which makes sense, really – the super grass used for the Super Bowl will be viewed by roughly 100 million people in over 180 countries and territories. Every detail in the Super Bowl is painstakingly crafted, grass included.

How the tough turf is grown, how it gets to the Super Bowl stadium, and how “the Sodfather” and other groundskeepers ensure it looks perfect makes for a super story.

Growing Super Bowl Grass

To have the best grass for Super Bowl Sunday, the process of growing it begins 18-24 months in advance. (Not-so-super sod typically takes 12-14 months to go from seed to harvest.) 

Depending on where the championship game is being played, the grass is typically grown in Alabama, Georgia, or California. This year it’s been grown locally –– just outside Phoenix.

Creating the perfect turf is an intricate and detailed process. The grass, usually a Bermuda hybrid, is grown on a plastic base with very little soil and sand, allowing the roots to intertwine and strengthen the base. This makes it easier to transport and transplant.

When we’re talking about 100,000 square feet of sod (give or take 10,000), moving it from farm to field is no easy task. It’s rolled, wrapped, and loaded into 30 or so refrigerated trucks that move it to its new location. 

Super BowlYearTurfGrass
11967x
21968x
31969x
41970x
51971Poly turf
61972Poly turf
71973X
81974Astro turf
91975Astro turf
101976X
111977X
121978Turf
131979X
141980x
151981turf
161982turf
171983x
181984x
191985x
201986turf
211987x
221988x
231989x
241990turf
251991x
261992turf
271993x
281994Astro turf
291995x
301996x
311997turf
321998x
331999x
342000turf
352001x
362002turf
372003x
382004x
392005x
402006Field turf
412007turf
422008x (retractable)
432009x
442010x
452011matrixturf
462012Field turf
472013Sport turf
482014Field turf
492015x
502016x
512017Hellas Construction to install its Matrix Turf with Helix Technology.
522018Sport turf
532019Field turf
542020x
552021x (Tifway 419 Bermuda)
562022Hellas Construction's synthetic Matrix® Turf
572023x (Tahoma 31 Bermuda)
TOTAL2433

Keeping Grass Green Before Game Time 

So, how does the grass always look immaculate for Super Bowl Sunday? About a week before the big game, the previous grass is torn out, the foundation is leveled with a laser, and the new grass arrives and is laid out. 

The new turf needs time to adjust and acclimate to its new environment, and the groundskeepers need time to make sure it’s impeccable.

George Toma, aka “The Sodfather,” longtime groundskeeper who has worked every Super Bowl since 1967, told TODAY.com: “The most important part of the sod is the soil it’s grown on and the root system of it.” 

This year, Toma has been in Glendale, Arizona, for weeks supervising field conditions at State Farm Stadium.

Growing Super Bowl grass is obviously a challenge because people expect both aesthetics and performance, which is supremely difficult to perfect. 

Doug Lipscomb, co-owner of Bent Oak Farms in Foley, Alabama, which has supplied the turf for several Super Bowl games, told Al.com: “A lot of fields look good and play bad. A lot look bad and play well. It’s kind of hard to put everything in one package.”

Bent Oak, which most recently supplied the Super Bowl grass in 2021, is, of course, keeping its proprietary formula a secret.

Caring for Super Bowl Grass 

West Coast Turf, meanwhile, has provided the grass for nine Super Bowl games, including this year. Last year, the game was played on artificial turf, but they supplied the grass for two practice fields. The grass, called Tahoma 31 Bermuda grass, is a drought-tolerant hybrid bermudagrass.

The grass gets super care. It has its own blankets, rain tarps, special diet … whatever it takes to keep it perfect, that’s what West Coast provides.

West Coast Turf also supplies grass for six MLB fields, six NFL fields, 14 professional training facilities, five professional soccer fields, and countless golf courses, high school, elementary, and college fields. 

What Happens to the Grass After the Game?

It would be a shame to think that over 2 acres of glorious grass would be torn out and trashed after being run around on for just a few hours. 

Sure, that grass gets a good pounding from the 22 250-pound men pummeling it for four hours (not to mention the half-time show stages and props), but tough turf was made for that, right? 

So, what happens to that grass after the Super Bowl champions are crowned? Super Bowl fields are taken out, strip by strip, and repurposed. In 2020, for example, the super sod was repurposed for use on a track at a horse farm and as a filler in a plant nursery.

What Happens to Artificial Turf After the Game? 

After the Super Bowl, the artificial turf gets a makeover so it’s ready for the next sports event. The field is cleaned of all the unique markings for each game and then the artificial turf is repainted for the next one. This video shows how it’s done. 

Occasionally, the end zones will be replaced, but the main field’s turf stays the same.

Turf Battle: Natural Grass or Artificial Turf

Artificial turf is becoming more popular with the NFL, with 14 of 30 stadiums currently using synthetic turf. Artificial turf certainly has its benefits: It’s environmentally friendly because it doesn’t need to be watered, and it doesn’t require pesticides or fertilizers. 

It’s also safer for players in many ways. If it’s raining, artificial turf is less slippery than grass, and there’s no mud. It’s stronger and more durable, so divots and holes are almost nonexistent. It also has shock absorption and anti-reflective qualities.

But what do NFL players think of faux grass? 

When the National Football League Players Association surveyed its members on the turf battle between artificial and natural grass, 70% of NFL players said they preferred to play on grass. They even created the hashtag #fliptheturf after L.A. Rams star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. tore his ACL in the second quarter of last year’s Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium. No-contact lower body injuries seem to occur more frequently on artificial turf.

At LawnStarter, we side with the players. You can’t beat walking on real, living grass whether it’s on a stadium with roughly 100,000 watching, or at home in your backyard in your bare feet. The feeling is, well, super. 

Writer Alex Birkett contributed to this story.

Alissa Cassidy

Alissa Cassidy

Alissa is a writer for LawnStarter, and while she may not have a green thumb, she enjoys writing and reading about plants, gardening, and lawn care. She's a mom to three boys, a football coach's wife, a grad student, and an amateur photographer. When she's not writing for LawnStarter, she likes working out, cooking, and being active and creative.