SI.com Ranks FieldTurf the Best Artificial Surface in the NFL

The National Football League has infinite resources to protect its players and pays special attention to their turf surfaces. That’s why we’re thrilled that, in a new list of the National Football League’s best and worst fields posted by SI.com, FieldTurf is the only manufacturer with four fields in the top 20 — good for an overall average ranking of 17.8 out of 30. (The average ranking for all other synthetic turf companies is 22.2.)

The FieldTurf Classic HD at the Indianapolis Colts’ Lucas Oil Stadium comes in at No. 13, the highest-ranked non-grass field on the list — also making it the league’s best artificial surface. “With a new fiber designed for softness and durability designed to also hold in the rubber infill for less ‘splash,’ the Colts play on a popular artificial surface,” wrote Tim Newcomb, Sports Illustrated’s stadium expert.

The next FieldTurf surface on the list is the Revolution at Century Link Field (No. 15), home of the Seattle Seahawks, which also is what the reigning Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots play on at Gillette Stadium (No. 18) in Foxborough, Mass. Ford Field (No. 19) in Detroit has used FieldTurf since the Lions’ stadium opened in 2002, upgrading to the newer Classic HD in 2013.

The other FieldTurf NFL surface is in the Georgia Dome (No. 24), home of the Atlanta Falcons.

“The bottom line is they all meet the NFL’s certification program every week,” Andy McNitt, director of Penn State University’s Center for Sports Surface Research and the man who oversees hardness testing of all NFL fields, told SI.com. (The NFL also checks seams and infill depth, Newcomb writes, and uses a magnet to locate any loose metal on the field, such as a stray bolt from a concert stage.)

“All of our fields today versus 10 years ago are way better,” McNitt continues. “The fields are in much better shape across the board.”

Still, we think it’s worth noting that FieldTurf has ranked No. 1 for 10 consecutive years in the National Football League Players Association poll.

FieldTurf’s nearest competitor, UBU, had three fields on SI.com’s list: MetLife Stadium, shared by the New York Jets and New York Giants (No. 14), Mercedes-Benz Superdome, home of the New Orleans Saints, (No. 21) and Paul Brown Stadium, where the Cincinnati Bengals play (No. 22).

FieldTurf’s other competitors each had one field even lower on the list: Hellas at the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium, Shaw Sports at the Baltimore Ravens’ M&T Bank Stadium, AstroTurf at the St. Louis Rams’ Edward Jones Dome and A-Turf at the Buffalo Bills’ Ralph Wilson Stadium.

The list incorporated past player rankings, insight from current players, and details from groundskeepers. We’re proud to be the league’s leader in this crucial area of the game.