Field conditions are already playing a pivotal role ahead of Super Bowl 58 in Las Vegas.
Pro Football Network managed to catch glimpses of the grassy conditions the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs will be playing on Sunday.
First Look at the Playing Surfaces for Super Bowl Sunday
To begin, Allegiant Stadium is known for having a similar roll-in grass feature that’s seen at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona — the site of last year’s big game.
This feature gives the Las Vegas Raiders and their opponents a natural surface. The same is the case for the UNLV Rebels and their football opponents when they trek to Vegas.
But it turns out that the Rebels prefer playing on an artificial surface, hence the option for the roll-in grass feature.
Here’s a look at the field both teams will be playing on:
It will be natural grass, not turf, that the two teams will play on. Currently, the field is getting set up for the Super Bowl’s Opening Night festivities.
After the build-up to Super Bowl 58 nears its crescendo later in the week, the grounds crew will begin laying the grass down for Sunday’s clash.
Video of the field can be seen below in the embedded tweet.
First look at the playing surface for #SuperBowlLVIII ahead of Opening Night 👀#PFN365 pic.twitter.com/jEOYw7KYIZ
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) February 5, 2024
‘Massive Field Tray’ Was Introduced Before Stadium Opened
The stadium collectively cost $1.9 billion in total. But the natural grass — which was designed specifically for the Raiders during practices and in games, was a part of the features when Allegiant Stadium began to be constructed.
The features the tray came with include:
- Being four feet deep.
- Would roll in on 13 rails through a 14-by-240-foot opening.
- Powered by 76 electric motors and moves at 11 feet per minute.
- Rolling out the natural grass takes approximately 90 minutes to complete.
Here’s a video of the 2020 layout via Michael Quine of the Las Vegas Review-Journal:
The massive field tray, which will roll in and out of Allegiant Stadium, has a fresh layer of natural grass turf for Raiders home games. #RJnow #VegasNation pic.twitter.com/4Wg6grfqnJ
— Michael Quine (@Vegas88s) May 15, 2020
After every Raiders home game, the field gets rolled back outside.
Did the Field Need To Be Resodded?
Turns out this Super Bowl field had to come with a retouch — courtesy of a California farm.
Per the Review-Journal on Jan. 12, the SB field is considered a hybrid Bermuda variety that came from the Golden State.
The decision to go with a touch-up stems from portions of the south end zone showing faded colors plus wear and tear, which made its rounds on social media following the Raiders’ Week 18 win over the Denver Broncos.
The field will need to be resodded and then tested numerous times to become playable, the Review-Journal noted.
Already, field conditions have come to light on the eve of the first Super Bowl in Sin City.
The San Francisco 49ers have grown “displeased” with their practice field conditions at UNLV per multiple reports.
MORE: NFL Insider Reveals Practice Field Drama as 49ers Complain of Sponge-Like Conditions
And last year, players on both the side of the Chiefs and Eagles were seen losing their footing in Super Bowl 57. It was later revealed that the field was overly watered down and not given enough sunlight to dry out.
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