SoFi Stadium’s New Hybrid Grass: A Game-Changer for Soccer and Beyond
In a move that could revolutionize the way we think about sports fields, SoFi Stadium is set to unveil its cutting-edge grass field technology during the upcoming Concacaf Nations League games. This initiative is not just a one-off experiment; it’s a crucial test run for the World Cup 2026, as announced by the Los Angeles World Cup host committee on Thursday.
Otto Benedict, SoFi’s senior vice president of facilities and campus operations, expressed his enthusiasm at a recent news conference, stating, “This is really a great opportunity for us to put together and test and learn and then apply those learnings to next year and really create an incredible experience.”
SoFi Stadium will be the venue for some exciting matches: the United States will face Panama, and Mexico will take on Canada on March 20 in the Concacaf Nations League semifinals, followed by the final on March 23.
The stadium staff began installing the “hybrid carpet” in February. This innovative field is a blend of artificial turf and natural grass, consisting of several layers: a grass-growing system known as “the permavoid,” a thin piece of permeable cloth, sand, and finally the hybrid grass. All of this is built on top of the existing artificial turf used by the stadium’s two NFL teams, the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers.
The permavoid system, made of black plastic crates, allows air to circulate beneath the root structure of the field. Benedict explained, “We are truly the first that’s doing that. We can aerate the root zone and give oxygen to the bottom of the grass. If the field is too wet and the root zone is too wet, we can turn the machine on and it will suck air down through the grass to cool and dry the grass out.”
This hybrid approach offers better strength and stability than a typical grass field, as it is less likely to pull apart. “You’ve got something that’s more solid and essentially sewn in and the natural grass grows with it,” Benedict noted. “In Europe, you have true sod on a sand base and grass that’s growing and stays consistent.”
Former U.S. men’s national team star Cobi Jones shared his thoughts with ESPN, saying, “To me, it seems like grass. I’m trying to figure out where the ‘hybrid’ is. You can’t even see it. It just looks like grass to me.”
The quality of pitches has been a hot topic, especially after last year’s Copa América, where players and coaches criticized the conditions at many of the same NFL stadiums that will host the World Cup. USMNT midfielder Weston McKennie voiced his frustration after playing at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, saying, “You’re playing on a football field, with laid grass that’s all patchy and it breaks up every step you take. It’s frustrating.”
One of the challenges at SoFi is that the grass will be growing under a roof structure that doesn’t receive direct sunlight. To address this, the staff uses LED grow lights that move across the field day and night. Additionally, another 10,000 square feet of hybrid grass is growing in the SoFi parking lot, ready to replace any worn sections of the field.
Benedict explained, “We want to test that and we also want to see what the grass is doing when it is in the sunlight versus what’s in here artificially. We’re taking every opportunity to see what little nuance is happening.”
Maintaining this hybrid field is no small feat. It requires a staff of more than 30 people, which is double the number needed for the artificial turf field used by NFL teams at SoFi. The new hybrid field, which sits more than two feet higher than the NFL field due to the permavoid system, will be removed after the USWNT’s match against Brazil on April 5 to make way for concerts and the 2025 NFL season.
However, this is not the end for the hybrid field. It will be reinstalled beginning next April for the eight World Cup games SoFi is hosting, including the USMNT’s opener on June 12.
Originally Written by: Tisha Thompson
