Bills are getting a head start on new stadium's grass playing field
Having a natural grass surface is going to take significantly more effort to build and maintain, so the Buffalo Bills have already begun the process more than a year before the opening of their $2.2 billion new stadium.
Grass doesn’t typically grow year-round in Buffalo, but the Buffalo Bills are aiming to change that inside their new stadium.
The team decided on a natural grass field in the $2.2 billion stadium after playing on artificial turf since moving to Orchard Park in 1973.
Having a natural grass playing surface is going to take significantly more effort to build and maintain, but the Bills prioritized it as NFL players push for making playing surfaces safer and more consistent.
The new Highmark Stadium is scheduled to open in summer 2026, but contractors began working on installing the grass playing field this month.
“This gives us a full growing season before our first game,” said John Polka, vice president of stadium development for the Bills. Harry Scull Jr., Buffalo News
Since it is no small undertaking, the Bills have already begun the process more than a year before the opening of the Orchard Park stadium – around July 2026.
This month, the Bills turned the playing surface over to contractor SCG Fields to start the work.
They realize it will take substantial time to build the surface using the type of field-warming and grass-growing technology that to this point rarely has been instituted inside NFL stadiums.
“This gives us a full growing season before our first game,” said John Polka, vice president of stadium development for the Bills. “A lot goes into the field components themselves.”
A general view of the construction taking place from the 50-yard line, looking at the Bills' sideline at the new Highmark Stadium. Harry Scull Jr./Buffalo News
The reason for getting into the stadium so early is to build the necessary infrastructure and complete the utility work to have the grass surface in place by the fall, Polka said.
The team needs to make sure the grass is growing this year so that it is tested through the winter, and then the Bills grounds crew and field crew can step in during the spring and summer of next year to make any adjustments needed, he added.
The system will use sub-air technology for pushing and pulling air, an irrigation system, and field heating that is wirelessly controlled to maintain needed moisture and field temperature. Hydronic heating and grow lights will help maintain the grass throughout the year. The Bills compare the surface to a wedding cake because of the layers that go into building it up.
All of that will allow for the Bills to grow grass without the presence of the sun.
Polka said the stadium will be only the second NFL facility to have this type of technology going into growing year-round grass.
Ohio-headquartered SCG Fields has installed natural turf systems in professional stadiums and for top-tier college teams. The company’s notable NFL natural grass installation projects include Sports Authority Field at Mile High for the Denver Broncos, Heinz Field for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Soldier Field for the Chicago Bears.
The NFL Players Association has been advocating for grass fields because of the link with noncontact lower-body injuries on artificial turf. Right now, 15 of the 30 NFL stadiums use natural grass.
That push certainly had something to do with the Bills’ decision. Bills' general manager Brandon Beane previously said the team preferred a grass field, despite the artificial surface being easier to maintain and better equipped to attract concerts and other events.
According to Sportico, the cost of a new grass sod field is in the range of $300,000 to $500,000, and there are added infrastructure costs, such as field maintenance, grow lights, hydronic heating, aeration systems, staff and fertilizer that can add $1 million annually. Hosting events, such as concerts, also presents a major challenge to maintaining grass fields.
Artificial turf, on the other hand, costs more to install, at about $1 million to $2 million, but lasts longer and requires less maintenance, according to Sportico.
However, grass is the preferred surface for most football players, as well as soccer, a sport the Bills hope to also host at the new stadium.
