# William's Brice Stadium will play on new grass that is less than a week old.



## daganh62 (May 4, 2018)

From this article's it sounds like they will be playing on real grass and not turf. I'm just curious if anyone knows how they will avoid having seems and uneven spots? I know they can use larger roles so a piece sliding shouldn't be an issue.

http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/24483715/jay-z-beyonce-show-leads-south-carolina-replace-field?sf196292288=1


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## Colonel K0rn (Jul 4, 2017)

Pretty fascinating that they can do that!


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## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

I'm sure the rolls will be deeper cut than what we buy


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## viva_oldtrafford (Apr 4, 2018)

jayhawk said:


> I'm sure the rolls will be deeper cut than what we buy


This. I knew a guy who helped do a sod job at Raymond James (Tampa Bay Bucs) 96 hours before an NFL game, and he said the Celebration was in the 4"+ range.


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## iFisch3224 (Jun 11, 2018)

I know the Miami Dolphins owner has his own sod farm growing turf specifically for the stadium. I believe this turf will be used in 2019.

I suppose there has to be a different system/setup for turf they pull many times a year.


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## dtillman5 (Jul 20, 2017)

I'd guess that they are very particular about the sod cutter they use being very level and consistent, unlike many sod farms where one side of the sod is 1 1/2" deep and the other is 1 3/4" (example). Makes sense that they would cut the sod much deeper. It would be interesting to see a video on the whole process. I'd be curious how wide they cut a roll. Edit: I found this PDF with some details and pictures of how its done. http://www.stabilizersolutions.com/uploads/Sports%20Turf%208-15%20Evergreen%20Turf.pdf and this video on maintaining https://youtu.be/8SobZho1L94


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## FRD135i (Oct 15, 2017)

dtillman5 said:


> I'd guess that they are very particular about the sod cutter they use being very level and consistent, unlike many sod farms where one side of the sod is 1 1/2" deep and the other is 1 3/4" (example). Makes sense that they would cut the sod much deeper. It would be interesting to see a video on the whole process. I'd be curious how wide they cut a roll. Edit: I found this PDF with some details and pictures of how its done. http://www.stabilizersolutions.com/uploads/Sports%20Turf%208-15%20Evergreen%20Turf.pdf and this video on maintaining


Replaced every year huh? where does one buy slightly used football sod from?


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## Rockinar (Jul 21, 2017)

FRD135i said:


> Replaced every year huh? where does one buy slightly used football sod from?


THIS. How one one buy rolls of pre manicured grass? Its OK if it says "Cowboys" on it...


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## osuturfman (Aug 12, 2017)

This is a very common practice in the sports turf (American football, in particular) world. See below for some notes on the process:

*Removal of Existing Turf*
Virtually all removals will be done using fraze mowing equipment that essentially mills out the grass to just below the thatch layer. See video below for how this process works up close.

[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyomc_0oIK8[/media]

*Grading and Sod Prep*
The next step is to rip or till the top 4-6" of rootzone material, which in most cases is sand. After rootzone prep is complete, the field will then be laser graded to ensure proper surface drainage over the entire field. This process involves a rotating laser that projects a beam of a falling slope over the field. This laser beam is received by a device on the grading machine which then uses hydraulics to instantly raise or lower the grading blade to adjust for high and low spots. The result is a surface that is on-grade within +/- 1/8" tolerance across the entire field. See below for an example of the laser grading process.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSoFIWjYAq0&t=0m38s[/media]

*Sod Installation*
You're right, this isn't just any old sod. This is thick cut (2" deep), big roll sod (42" wide) and will typically come 200-250 square feet to a roll. While the thick cut offers an inherent safety factor in immediate playability, the biggest factor in being able to play on this sod right away is the fact it's grown on plastic. Yes, I said plastic. Big rolls of geotextile are rolled out, rootzone sand is then spread and graded over top of it, then grass is seed or sprigged (depending on species) for establishment. The result is a highly dense root mass that grows laterally, as opposed to down, in the soil to really knit the sod together. So think of all the root mass of 6-10" roots of traditionally grown sod that would get sheared off at harvest, now compressed into a 2-3" rootzone; that's a ton of added strength. More good news is that these roots are highly active and will allow the sod to root-in faster simply due to the high volume of them compared to traditionally grown sod. See some videos below for install methods.

_Harvest_
[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_H9qnypJHI[/media]

[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7nTQWU7-E8[/media]

_Install_
[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDBdkBKLBh8[/media]

One of the issues with thick cut sod had been moving it once it was rolled out. Getting the seams tight required 3-12 workers slamming a rake into the grass and pulling the seams together. Someone got smart and made a tractor attachment called the Sidekick to eliminate all of those rake pullers.

[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GLPMCzwfu4[/media]

*How Common Is This?*
There are a number of baseball stadiums, including Yankee Stadium and a host of minor league ballparks, that routinely convert from baseball to soccer, and vice versa, overnight to play two different sports within a 36-hour span. See the video below of the Louisville Bats (Reds AAA).

[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYsS-dMBLzc[/media]

Beyond that, many stadiums have been asked to do more events or sports than they were in the past.

Take for instance Keenan Stadium at UNC-Chapel Hill.

https://www.diehards.com/north-carolina/north-carolina-football-kenan-stadium

In order to accommodate the construction of their new practice facility last season, the team conducted all practices on their game field during the week and then played there for all home games. While they were prepared to re-sod for each home game, I believe they only did so 3 times for the season.

Add to this other revenue generating events such as concerts, private parties, and other sports, the next-day playing surface replacement industry is booming right now. The biggest reason? Money! As a promoter, it's easy to pay for a $400k field replacement when you've made 5X that amount before the first beer fart hits the stadium seats.


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## osuturfman (Aug 12, 2017)

daganh62 said:


> From this article's it sounds like they will be playing on real grass and not turf. * I'm just curious if anyone knows how they will avoid having seems and uneven spots?* I know they can use larger roles so a piece sliding shouldn't be an issue.
> 
> http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/24483715/jay-z-beyonce-show-leads-south-carolina-replace-field?sf196292288=1


Roll it with a 3 ton roller, topdress it with 40-50 tons of sand, brush in the sand, mow it and then water it. You'll be able to tell on TV but, that field is 100% good to go.


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## dtillman5 (Jul 20, 2017)

@osuturfman I need to borrow this set up for a few hours: "This laser beam is received by a device on the grading machine which then uses hydraulics to instantly raise or lower the grading blade to adjust for high and low spots. The result is a surface that is on-grade within +/- 1/8" tolerance across the entire field." :lol:


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## dtillman5 (Jul 20, 2017)

@FRD135i I hear Ya...and the grading machine laser set up ^


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## Cjames1603 (Jul 25, 2018)

Bryant Denny stadium
Here in Tuscaloosa changes the turf every year. When they cut it up they pile it on the corner outside the stadium and it stays there anout 2 days until trucks come and haul it off. I have in the past gotten a few pieces. The constant paint obviously is not good for it. Or money grows on trees in one of the universities labs. Not sure which one.


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## Killmeh (Mar 1, 2018)

Now that is amazing! Very impressive maintenance and setup.


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## Jacob_S (May 22, 2018)

FRD135i said:


> dtillman5 said:
> 
> 
> > I'd guess that they are very particular about the sod cutter they use being very level and consistent, unlike many sod farms where one side of the sod is 1 1/2" deep and the other is 1 3/4" (example). Makes sense that they would cut the sod much deeper. It would be interesting to see a video on the whole process. I'd be curious how wide they cut a roll. Edit: I found this PDF with some details and pictures of how its done. http://www.stabilizersolutions.com/uploads/Sports%20Turf%208-15%20Evergreen%20Turf.pdf and this video on maintaining
> ...


I have contemplated this every year, as an LSU fan I'd love to be able to tell people my lawn is sod out of tiger stadium.


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## Cjames1603 (Jul 25, 2018)

If les were still there he could stop by for a snack. Lol.


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## Killmeh (Mar 1, 2018)

Jacob_S said:


> FRD135i said:
> 
> 
> > dtillman5 said:
> ...


Geaux Tigers


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## osuturfman (Aug 12, 2017)

Pretty cool moment after the game yesterday. Clark Cox, Associate AD of Athletic Facilities, accepted the game ball from Muschamp.

https://twitter.com/GamecocksOnline/status/1035978286596272130?s=20


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## RandyMan (May 17, 2018)

Georgia is gonna tear it up next week on that field lol..Should be a good game!


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