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FIFA and an SEC university known more for football than fútbol might not seem like a natural pairing. But the partnership between the global soccer governing body and the University of Tennessee has spanned years leading up to the 2026 World Cup.
Now their work will be showcased on the global stage.
John Sorochan, a distinguished professor of turfgrass sciences and management at UT, was working with the NFL in 2018 to prepare suitable turf as the league brought games to England when he met FIFA Senior Pitch Management Manager Alan Ferguson at a London café.
The two came together on a difficult new mission: Ensure soccer pitches are consistent across North American stadiums hosting the world's most elite soccer tournament, from open-air to domed facilities in both warm climates and cold ones.
The turf project took off in 2018, but the COVID-19 pandemic slowed the World Cup planning process for FIFA. It wasn't until 2022 that researchers found out which stadiums would rely on UT’s turf expertise – and that five of them would be indoors. That's a tough challenge for real grass over a multiweek tournament.
Sixteen stadiums across North America will feature turfgrass researched and developed by UT, along with research partner Michigan State University. The desired consistency is not just about creating a comfortable feel for players representing their countries on a global stage. It’s also about fairness and player safety.
“You want something where it’s dependable, reliable, consistent, uniform – not just for the ball rolling on it,” Sorochan told Knox News. “But when a player runs and cuts on the surface, you want their performance and traction to be consistent – high-performing, yet safe.”
With stadiums in cities from Vancouver in Canada to Guadalajara in Mexico hosting the tournament – which has 104 matches in total – the varying amounts of sun exposure, elevations, climates and time zones all affect how grass grows.
UT has been working with grow lights to replicate the environment of each unique stadium, a vital part of ensuring turf in the five domed stadiums match the quality of the outdoor soccer pitches receiving direct sunlight.
UT focused its research on warm-season grasses like Bermuda, which will be used in World Cup stadiums in warmer climates. People think it's an invasive species, Sorochan said, “but it's a really good sports turf grass.”
“It's what's in Neyland Stadium at UT,” he said, “and it grows really aggressively."
The domed stadiums and outdoor pitches in cooler climates will implement cool-season grasses researched by Michigan State, a mix of Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass, which is used at that university’s football stadium in East Lansing and at Fenway Park in Boston.
Except for the stadium in Mexico City, which was seeded back in December, each World Cup host facility needed to be sodded before the five-week tournament kicks off June 11.
Through its research, UT incorporated an innovative way to grow sod on top of “an impermeable plastic layer,” Sorochan said. This allows roots to grow without needing to be cut before sod is transferred.
Sections of sod are instead cut “like a pizza,” he said, and rolled up before being transported from sod farms to stadiums. It takes about 30 trucks packed with sod for each field.
When it’s time to install the field, the plastic is removed from the sod and the turf is placed atop several inches of sand on top of a geotextile fabric that covers the Permavoid drainage tiles on the bottom.
The pitches are hybrid, as required by FIFA, with about 95% of the turf being natural grass. Synthetic fibers are stitched in “to act like rebar,” Sorochan said, to avoid a “big blowout or a divot” as players run and slide on the playing surface. This “homogenizes” the surfaces to make the bounce and traction of each field feel similar.
When athletes from all over the world take the field June 11-July 19 to compete at soccer’s highest level, they will be playing on the highest quality surfaces at stadiums across North America − the same place where that turf was developed.
Knoxvillians can take pride knowing the turf was researched here at home.
Keenan Thomas is the higher education reporter for Knox News. Email: [email protected].
Support strong local journalism by subscribing to subscribe.knoxnews.com.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Neyland Stadium, 2026 FIFA World Cup fields share these Tennessee roots
Continue reading...
Now their work will be showcased on the global stage.
John Sorochan, a distinguished professor of turfgrass sciences and management at UT, was working with the NFL in 2018 to prepare suitable turf as the league brought games to England when he met FIFA Senior Pitch Management Manager Alan Ferguson at a London café.
The two came together on a difficult new mission: Ensure soccer pitches are consistent across North American stadiums hosting the world's most elite soccer tournament, from open-air to domed facilities in both warm climates and cold ones.
The goal for FIFA pitch research: 'Reliable, consistent' turf
The turf project took off in 2018, but the COVID-19 pandemic slowed the World Cup planning process for FIFA. It wasn't until 2022 that researchers found out which stadiums would rely on UT’s turf expertise – and that five of them would be indoors. That's a tough challenge for real grass over a multiweek tournament.
Sixteen stadiums across North America will feature turfgrass researched and developed by UT, along with research partner Michigan State University. The desired consistency is not just about creating a comfortable feel for players representing their countries on a global stage. It’s also about fairness and player safety.
“You want something where it’s dependable, reliable, consistent, uniform – not just for the ball rolling on it,” Sorochan told Knox News. “But when a player runs and cuts on the surface, you want their performance and traction to be consistent – high-performing, yet safe.”
With stadiums in cities from Vancouver in Canada to Guadalajara in Mexico hosting the tournament – which has 104 matches in total – the varying amounts of sun exposure, elevations, climates and time zones all affect how grass grows.
FIFA will take a tip from Neyland Stadium at 2026 World Cup
UT has been working with grow lights to replicate the environment of each unique stadium, a vital part of ensuring turf in the five domed stadiums match the quality of the outdoor soccer pitches receiving direct sunlight.
UT focused its research on warm-season grasses like Bermuda, which will be used in World Cup stadiums in warmer climates. People think it's an invasive species, Sorochan said, “but it's a really good sports turf grass.”
“It's what's in Neyland Stadium at UT,” he said, “and it grows really aggressively."
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The domed stadiums and outdoor pitches in cooler climates will implement cool-season grasses researched by Michigan State, a mix of Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass, which is used at that university’s football stadium in East Lansing and at Fenway Park in Boston.
Except for the stadium in Mexico City, which was seeded back in December, each World Cup host facility needed to be sodded before the five-week tournament kicks off June 11.
FIFA sod cut 'like a pizza' as part of innovative turf research
Through its research, UT incorporated an innovative way to grow sod on top of “an impermeable plastic layer,” Sorochan said. This allows roots to grow without needing to be cut before sod is transferred.
Sections of sod are instead cut “like a pizza,” he said, and rolled up before being transported from sod farms to stadiums. It takes about 30 trucks packed with sod for each field.
You must be registered for see images attach
When it’s time to install the field, the plastic is removed from the sod and the turf is placed atop several inches of sand on top of a geotextile fabric that covers the Permavoid drainage tiles on the bottom.
The pitches are hybrid, as required by FIFA, with about 95% of the turf being natural grass. Synthetic fibers are stitched in “to act like rebar,” Sorochan said, to avoid a “big blowout or a divot” as players run and slide on the playing surface. This “homogenizes” the surfaces to make the bounce and traction of each field feel similar.
When athletes from all over the world take the field June 11-July 19 to compete at soccer’s highest level, they will be playing on the highest quality surfaces at stadiums across North America − the same place where that turf was developed.
Knoxvillians can take pride knowing the turf was researched here at home.
You must be registered for see images attach
Keenan Thomas is the higher education reporter for Knox News. Email: [email protected].
Support strong local journalism by subscribing to subscribe.knoxnews.com.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Neyland Stadium, 2026 FIFA World Cup fields share these Tennessee roots
Continue reading...
