When the Buffalo Bills broke ground on the new Highmark Stadium two years ago, the team announced it would be playing on a natural grass field for the first time since 1973. Now, the team and its contractors are ready to start growing season at the $2 billion stadium, and it will look different than any other grass-growing process.
The Bills hired SCG Fields to oversee the process of creating a grass playing field. The same company spearheaded grass fields for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Chicago Bears and Denver Broncos.
By starting the process now, the team will have a full growing season to strengthen the grass before the first home game in 2026. The plan is to use “hydronic heating, grow lights, sub-air technology and irrigation” to grow the grass. The Bills are the only team thus far to use this kind of technology to grow and maintain a natural grass field.
Related: In New Stadium, Bills to Play on Natural Grass for First Time Since 1973
According to Sports Illustrated, while it may be more expensive to install artificial turf, natural grass “cost between $300,000 and $500,000. Then there are the infrastructure and annual maintenance costs that can reach upwards of $1,000,000 a year.”
For the Bills, the higher cost was worth the investment in player safety, as artificial turf’s negative impact on non-contact injuries has been well documented.
Back in 2023 when the team first announced the decision to include a natural grass field, Brandon Beane, Bills’ general manager spoke on the Pat McAfee Show. “It will have all that coil underneath to keep the field warm, so we’re really excited about that,” he said. “It’s really going to be built football-based.”
There are currently only 15 NFL stadiums that use natural grass, and the addition of Highmark Stadium will tip the scales in favor of grass over turf across the league.
