World Cup Will be Played On Rutgers Turfgrass

Michigan State University and University of Tennessee led FIFA's research into which turfgrasses would perform best at each of the World Cup stadiums. Their experts settled on Rutgers-bred cultivars as their top choice in most cases in consultation with each venue's groundskeepers and the seed companies, according to Bonos. In addition to Philadelphia, Mexico City, and Vancouver, Rutgers cool-season turfgrasses will be used in Toronto, Boston, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, and Seattle.

Turfgrasses bred for warmer temperatures do not fare as well in chillier temperatures, in the shade, or low-light areas like under domes compared with their cool-season turfgrass counterparts. MetLife Stadium in the Meadowlands (renamed New York New Jersey Stadium for the tournament) is using a warm-season Bermuda grass variety not bred at Rutgers when the World Cup is played at the New Jersey venue.

James Murphy, an extension specialist in Rutgers' plant biology department, oversaw the tolerance tests on the university's turfgrasses that helped confirm their durability for World Cup games. He will be watching the matches, but his focus will be on seeing how well the turfgrasses perform.

"I can't help but watch what the field does. That's in my nature. That's what I do for a living,'' said Murphy, whose expertise includes turfgrass management. "It's very rewarding to watch after an event how well the fields hold up. And it's great to see them recover, so that by the next time they're played on, they're in good playing shape.''