EAGAN, Minn. — U.S. Financial institution Stadium, the house of the Minnesota Vikings, will grow to be the most recent NFL facility to interchange its enjoying floor with a model of synthetic turf that charges higher in harm knowledge.
The Minnesota Sports activities Amenities Authority, which owns and operates the stadium, accepted a $1.3 million bid for the challenge Thursday. It should exchange the slit-film turf, which is related to the very best fee of decrease extremity noncontact accidents among the many sorts of synthetic turfs utilized in NFL stadiums, based mostly on knowledge compiled by the NFL and NFL Gamers Affiliation’s joint surfaces committee. As an alternative, the MSFA will set up a monofilament model known as Act World Xtreme Turf DX.
The work will start in February and be prepared in time for the 2024 season.
The Vikings will set up the identical floor at their indoor apply facility, in accordance with Steve Poppen, the group’s govt vice chairman and chief enterprise administration officer. The Vikings have been closely concerned in choosing the successful bid, together with the MSFA and ASM, the corporate that manages the stadium.
“Our No. 1 precedence was centered on participant well being and security and the efficiency of the sector,” Poppen mentioned. “The [MSFA] and ASM have been aligned with us on that time.”
Groups started changing slit-film turf final winter after the NFL/NFLPA knowledge confirmed a small improve within the fee of accidents that might be attributed to enjoying surfaces. Three stadiums continued with slit-film this season: The Indianapolis Colts’ Lucas Oil Stadium, the Cincinnati Bengals’ Paycor Stadium and U.S. Financial institution Stadium. The Colts additionally plan to alter their turf in 2024.
The Vikings opted towards an instantaneous substitute final winter, vice chairman of participant well being and efficiency Tyler Williams mentioned, to make sure an orderly choice course of. The guarantee for the present floor, put in in 2019, will expire after this season.
Vikings large receiver Justin Jefferson and Kansas Metropolis Chiefs tight finish Travis Kelce suffered noncontact decrease extremity accidents on the sector in Week 5, and San Francisco 49ers tight finish George Kittle complained in regards to the turf after a Week 7 recreation.
“I feel our subject has performed rather well this 12 months, and I do not suppose any of the harm knowledge would counsel that there’s a cluster of accidents on our subject in comparison with others,” Williams mentioned, including that they did not wish to overreact to the NFL/NFLPA knowledge and probably “put in a worse subject.”
Earlier this season, NFLPA govt director Lloyd Howell known as on the NFL to make sure grass fields in all its stadiums, even these with everlasting roofs comparable to U.S. Financial institution Stadium. Williams mentioned he did ask about choices for a grass subject throughout the Vikings’ course of however discovered it was not viable. The power usually hosts greater than 200 occasions per 12 months along with Vikings video games.
“U.S. Financial institution Stadium was constructed as a multipurpose facility,” Poppen mentioned. “It was designed for synthetic floor. We do not have the power to develop grass in that stadium proper now.”