94 | SPORTS VENUES 2023/24 www.stadiaworld.com TECHNOLOGY Starting next season, the Tennessee Titans’ NFL football games at Nissan Stadium will be played on artificial turf instead of natural grass. The Titans cite various reasons for this. In particular, the climate zone in which Nashville is located is a reason for the change. It is not possible to guarantee a consistent playing surface throughout the season. Turf swaps and constant seeding have not produced satisfactory results. The inconsistent surface has also resulted in numerous lower-body injuries, the most league-wide, the Titans said. Another decisive factor was the advanced artificial turf technology. The NFL franchise opted for a monofilament matrix helix turf in combination with an organic infill. This is to combine the consistency and durability of artificial turf with the feel and performance of turf and soil. “I think our grounds crew is among the best in the National Football League,” Titans team president and CEO Burke Nihill said in a statement. “Ultimately there’s just a limit to how much can be done for a natural grass surface in this part of the country. This turf is cutting-edge technology and will be a huge improvement in terms of consistency and performance.” The Tennessee Titans made the decision to switch from natural grass to synthetic turf amid a heated debate about the right playing surface. While a large number of NFL professionals are in favour of playing exclusively on natural grass, the league argues that injury rates on synthetic surfaces and those on natural grass have decreased to the point where there is little difference. The players’ union is calling for the elimination of artificial turf fields at a total of six NFL stadiums, citing statistically higher rates of non-opponent lower extremity injuries: Caesars Superdome (New Orleans Saints), Ford Field (Detroit Lions), Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis Colts), MetLife Stadium (News York Giants and New York Jets), Paycor Stadium (Cincinnati Bengals) U.S. Bank Stadium (Minnesota Vikings). In addition to the six venues mentioned, another eight stadiums have artificial turf. Fifteen clubs, on the other hand, rely on natural grass. Meanwhile, the debate about artificial and natural turf is also ongoing in the Major League Soccer (MLS) and Major League Baseball (MLB). The soccer teams, that do not have their own Grass or synthetic turf? Debates in the US leagues A consistent pitch quality and multifunctionality of the stadium are arguments in favour of artificial turf. But many professionals complain about the risk of injury and demand the conversion to natural grass pitches. National Football League (NFL): Venues & grass types Venue City Team(s) Grass type 1) Roof 2) Acrisure Stadium Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Steelers n o Allegiant Stadium Paradise Las Vegas Raiders n c Arrowhead Stadium Kansas City Kansas City Chiefs n o AT&T Stadium Arlington Dallas Cowboys s c Bank of America Stadium Charlotte Carolina Panthers s o Caesars Superdome New Orleans New Orleans Saints s r Empower Field at Mile High Denver Denver Broncos n o FedExField Landover Washington Commanders n o FirstEnergy Stadium Cleveland Cleveland Browns n o Ford Field Detroit Detroit Lions s c Gillette Stadium Foxborough New England Patriots s o Hard Rock Stadium Miami Gardens Miami Dolphins n o Highmark Stadium Orchard Park Buffalo Bills s o Lambeau Field Green Bay Green Bay Packers n o Levi’s Stadium Santa Clara San Francisco 49ers n o Lincoln Financial Field Philadelphia Philadelphia Eagles n o Lucas Oil Stadium Indianapolis Indianapolis Colts s r Lumen Field Seattle Seattle Seahawks s o M&T Bank Stadium Baltimore Baltimore Ravens n o Mercedes-Benz Stadium Atlanta Atlanta Falcons s r MetLife Stadium East Rutherford New York Giants/-Jets s o Nissan Stadium Nashville Tennessee Titans s o NRG Stadium Houston Houston Texans s r Paycor Stadium Cincinnati Cincinnati Bengals s o Raymond James Stadium Tampa Tampa Bay Buccaneers n o SoFi Stadium Inglewood LA Chargers/-Rams s r Soldier Field Chicago Chicago Bears n o State Farm Stadium Glendale Arizona Cardinals n r TIAA Bank Field Jacksonville Jacksonville Jaguars n o U.S. Bank Stadium Minneapolis Minnesota Vikings s c 1) n=natural turf (hybrid systems are classified as natural); s=synthetic turf; 2) *o = open; r = retractable; c = closed Status: 7/2023 Highlighted stadiums are NFL- and MLS-venues. Source: Venues, clubs Football and soccer on synthetic turf: Gillette Stadium Picture: STADIAWORLD
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