Lucas Oil Stadium is continuing with the installation of new artificial turf, despite calls from the NFL Players Association to switch their playing surfaces to natural grass. The switch to natural grass, for Lucas Oil, seems nearly impossible. Unlike other stadiums, Lucas Oil is not equipped with the irrigation and drainage required to grow and sustain natural grass. Photo courtesy of Google.

News Release

INDIANAPOLIS — Lucas Oil Stadium is continuing with the installation of new artificial turf, despite calls from the NFL Players Association to switch their playing surfaces to natural grass.

The Capital Improvement Board, which is in charge of operating the stadium, announced their turf replacement plans. The plan is still on track to switch from one type of synthetic turf to another.

The turf replacement is a $1.24 million project for the stadium. The turf will be installed by the Texas-based company Hellas Construction. The company was selected out of the five bids received by the stadium. The turf is the same as used at Los Angeles’ So-Fi Stadium, Dallas’ AT&T Stadium and Houston’s NRG Stadium.

The turf is schedules to be removed in March. The new turf will be instated after the conclusion of the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials in June.

Initially, the monofilament-type turf is what the NFLPA asked venues to switch to; however, their attitudes changed once Aaron Rodgers, Jets quarterback, tore his achilles tendon during the team’s home opener on Monday, Sept. 11. Since the incident, the union has shifted focus to natural grass.

The switch to natural grass, for Lucas Oil, seems nearly impossible. Unlike other stadiums, Lucas Oil is not equipped with the irrigation and drainage required to grow and sustain natural grass. The implementation of the necessary irrigation and drainage systems would be very costly for the stadium.

Another disadvantage to natural grass is that it will sustain more damage due to the convention activity that takes place in the stadium. The stadium is connected to the Indiana Convention Center and is consistently utilized as overflow convention space. When the stadium is used for convention purposes, a specialized heavy duty flooring is placed atop the turf. The specialized flooring protects the turf but would kill the natural grass.

The Capital Improvement Board is required to replace the turf once, at least, every decade. However, the current turf has been replaced after five years. Most NFL stadiums with replace turf every two or three years.