EAGAN, Minn. – U.S. Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings, will become the latest NFL facility to replace its playing surface with a version of artificial turf with better injury data rates.
The Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, which owns and operates the stadium, approved a $1.3 million bid for the project on Thursday. It will replace split-ply turf, which is associated with the highest rate of non-contact injuries to the lower extremities among the types of artificial turf used in NFL stadiums, based on data compiled by the Joint Surfaces Committee of the NFL Players Association and the NFL. Instead, MSFA will install a mono version called Act Global Xtreme Turf DX.
Work will begin in February and will be ready in time for the 2024 season.
The Vikings will install the same surface at their indoor practice facility, according to Steve Bobin, the team’s executive vice president and chief business officer. The Vikings were heavily involved in selecting the winning bid, along with MSFA and ASM, the company that manages the stadium.
“Our first priority was focused on the health and safety of the players and performance on the field,” Bobin said. “the [MSFA] And ASM were allied with us on this point.”
Teams began replacing the clear turf last winter after NFL/NFLPA data showed an uptick in the rate of injuries attributable to the playing surfaces. Three stadiums continued to show slot films this season: the Indianapolis Colts’ Lucas Oil Stadium, the Cincinnati Bengals’ Baycor Stadium, and U.S. Bank Stadium. The Colts also plan to change the turf in 2024.
The Vikings chose not to trade Immediately last winter to ensure an orderly selection process, said Tyler Williams, vice president of player health and performance. The warranty on the current surface, installed in 2019, will expire after this season.
Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce suffered non-field-related lower extremity injuries in Week 5, and San Francisco 49ers’ George Kittle complained about turf after a Week 7 game.
“I think our outfield played really well this year, and I don’t think any of the injury data suggests there’s a bunch of injuries in our outfield compared to others,” Williams said, adding that they didn’t want to overreact to the NFL/NFLPA data and perhaps “put it in Worse field.”
Earlier this season, NFL CEO Lloyd Howell called on the NFL to ensure all of its stadiums have turf fields, even those with permanent surfaces like U.S. Bank Stadium. Williams said he asked about options for a grass field during the Vikings’ operation but found they were not viable. The facility typically hosts more than 200 events annually in addition to Vikings games.
“U.S. Bank Stadium was built as a multi-purpose facility,” Bobin said. “It was designed for artificial surfaces. We don’t have the capacity to grow grass on this field at the moment.”
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