ARLINGTON, Texas — There's been a lot of chatter over the last few years about playing surfaces in NFL stadiums.
It came to the forefront again ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which has strict field policies. AT&T Stadium successfully proved its ability to replace its turf field for a grass one – as noted in the 2024 Copa America tournament.
But for Dallas Cowboys home games, you'll continue to see that blue-and-silver branded turf.
How about the other football events it hosts? The Big 12 Championship? Texas A&M versus Arkansas? The Cotton Bowl Classic bowl game? Do these games use the same turf as the Cowboys games?
Yes and no. Let us explain.
Is the AT&T Stadium turf different for Cowboys games?
The turf field you see on Sundays is the same type of turf, but not the exact same field. AT&T Stadium uses a Hellas Matrix Turf with a Helix Soft Top from Hellas Construction Inc., which is headquartered in Austin. For non-Cowboys events, crews need to roll all of the panels of turf with the Cowboys branding on it, and then replace it with panels that has the design of whatever event is being held.
For example, Hellas Construction Inc. posted this video on its YouTube page showing the process of changing the turf from the AdvoCare Showdown between Ohio State and TCU on Sept. 15, 2018, to the Cowboys turf field for their game the next day against the New York Giants.
How is the field different at AT&T Stadium for Cowboys games compared to soccer matches?
For soccer matches, AT&T Stadium takes out the turf and puts in a grass field, as they did in both the Concacaf Nations League tournament and the Copa America tournament. AT&T Stadium received criticism from the United States Men's National Team for the condition of the field during the Concacaf Nations League tournament, where then-head coach Gregg Berhalter called it "less than ideal."
For Copa America, stadium crews started prepping the grass field a month before the matches were to begin. We detailed that entire process here, and the time they took to craft and grow the sod paid off. The USMNT players gave glowing reviews of the field.
How will the field at AT&T Stadium look for the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
Unlike the soccer pitches used for CONCACAF Nations League and Copa America, the field for the FIFA World Cup will look much different.
In order to comply with FIFA's field regulations for the World Cup, the playing surface at AT&T Stadium will be raised from where it currently stands. Doing so will accommodate the wider field dimensions required by FIFA -- and take some seating areas out of commission.
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