Why the turf — a big problem in the last Eagles Super Bowl — won’t be an issue this time
The field conditions were a big talking point in Super Bowl LVII. That shouldn’t happen this time.
NEW ORLEANS — After Super Bowl LVII, the turf was one of the biggest topics of conversation — for all the wrong reasons.
In the lead-up to the game, there was a lot of discussion on the new grass at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., which was the product of two years of labor to grow and maintain before the big game. Then kickoff came, and Eagles slipped and slid across the grass and two Chiefs went down with injuries that coach Andy Reid later blamed on the field conditions.
“I’m not going to lie — this is the worst field I’ve ever played on,” Haason Reddick said following the Eagles’ 38-35 loss to the Chiefs.
Eagles fans will be delighted to know Super Bowl LIX won’t be on that same surface — or anything close to it. The Eagles will face the Chiefs on the Saints’ artificial turf surface, which they played on in a 15-12 win over New Orleans in Week 3, with no serious complaints.
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Natural grass is a player preference, according to NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell, who shared in February 2024 that 92% of players prefer to play on natural grass as opposed to artificial turf. But sometimes that’s not possible, like in the Caesars Superdome.
NFL Director of Live Event Operations Steve Farago said Monday that he’s confident players will be satisfied with the Super Bowl playing surface.
“The players should expect a clean playing surface,” Farago said. “It’s been reviewed by our head groundskeeper. He feels comfortable and will continue to keep a close eye on it … We want to make sure it’s the utmost safe and best playing surface for our players. They’ve been working on it for weeks to make sure it’s at its highest-quality playability for our players.”
The last time the Super Bowl was played on artificial turf was in 2022, when the Super Bowl was played at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. Super Bowl LIX will be the 25th Super Bowl played on artificial turf, with most of those games coming indoors.
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The turf for Super Bowl LIX was made by Georgia-based company TurfNation, a company that has supplied the turf for the Super Bowl five times in the past, and is a new variant called TurfNation S5, making its Super Bowl debut Sunday.