Soldier Field Grass to Be Re-Sodded Before Bears Season Opener

Soldier Field to be re-sodded before season opener originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

The grass at Soldier Field will be completely new by the time the Bears host the 49ers for Week 1 of the regular season.

“A long-planned full re-sodding of the field is scheduled for early September using a new Bermuda grass system requested by the Bears,” said a representative from Soldier Field management.

In between last Saturday’s preseason game and the regular season home opener, Soldier Field is set to host a Chicago Fire game, plus concerts for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bad Bunny and Rammstein. The Rammstein concert takes place on Sept. 3, and ASM Global, the company contracted by the Chicago Parks District to maintain the field, will re-sod the field immediately afterwards. That gives the new grass a full week to grow and take hold before the Niners game on Sept. 11. In addition, Soldier Field puts a protective floor down for its concerts to help protect the turf during the shows.

The Bermuda grass is a change for Soldier Field, which has previously been sodded with a Kentucky bluegrass and rye blend. Kentucky bluegrass typically fares better in cooler, northern climates, while Bermuda thrives in warmer weather, so the Bermuda grass could perform better in the early stages of the season. Bermuda grass is also noted for being more resilient to wear, while Kentucky bluegrass typically recuperates and regrows more quickly from wear.

Soldier Field is re-sodded several times per year, in consultation with the Bears and Fire, so there’s a chance for the grass to go back to Kentucky bluegrass when things get colder again. Last season, 16 NFL teams played on real grass. Of those 16 teams, nine used Bermuda grass, four used Kentucky bluegrass, and three used other grasses or blends.

Much was made of the conditions at Soldier Field last Saturday, culminating in a critical tweet from NFLPA president J.C. Tretter.

The NFL said that this field met minimum testing standards. We clearly need to re-evaluate what is an acceptable surface for players to compete on. We need new testing metrics looking at the performance and safety of every field. The NFL can and should do better. pic.twitter.com/Vh1NDgLQBk

— JC Tretter (@JCTretter) August 13, 2022

Soldier Field management emphasized that the grass was cleared for play before the game:

“It’s important to note that the field met all NFL playing standards prior to Saturday’s preseason game. Soldier Field management works with all tenants to comply with existing regulations.”

ASM Global manages six other NFL stadiums beside Soldier Field. They take care of Allegiant Stadium (Raiders), Caesars Superdome (Saints), NRG Stadium (Texans), State Farm Stadium (Cardinals), TIAA Bank Field (Jaguars) and U.S. Bank Stadium (Vikings). Among those, Allegiant Stadium, State Farm Stadium and TIAA Bank Field used real grass last season.

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