After half a century on artificial turf, the Bills are making plans to play on grass.
The Bills had their groundbreaking ceremony at their new stadium on Monday, and afterward General Manager Brandon Beane said the stadium will have a grass field.
“Another positive is it’s going to be grass,” Beane told Pat McAfee. “We have these debates of turf vs. grass, so that was one of the big things we pushed for. It’s going to be grass like Lambeau has, have all that coil underneath to keep the field warm. So, very excited about that.”
Most NFL players prefer grass fields, and the players’ union has argued that all fields should be grass. Owners tend to prefer artificial turf for its versatility in bringing other events to stadiums. Beane said that unlike many of the modern stadiums that have been built with the idea of attracting concerts and other major events that are easier to stage on artificial surfaces, the new stadium in Buffalo is being built with football in mind.
“It’s really going to be built football-based,” he said.
The Bills’ current stadium has always used artificial turf, since it first opened in 1973. The new stadium with the grass field is expected to be ready for use in 2026.
