OSU-developed grass to be used in AFC and NFC championships

phia Eagles, Lincoln Financial Field.

Payton Little Staff Reporter

Oklahoma State University developed grass to be used in AFC and NFC Championships.

OSU took the field on Sunday, but the Cowboys were not playing.

OSU has always been known as a premiere agricultural school, but now, their talents are being brought to one of the biggest stages in the gridiron. Both the NFC and AFC championships are being played on grasses developed at OSU.

First, the home of the Philadel-

Released in 2017, turfgrass Tahoma 31 is a type of bermuda grass developed at Oklahoma State. It is being used in combination with ryegrass to create the field in Philadelphia, with the overseed ryegrass helping to keep the field a bright green. Of course, paints and dyes are also used to color endzones and yard lines, as well as to brighten up certain parts of the field in general.

Over at the AFC championship in Arrowhead Stadium, the Kansas City Chiefs have been using OSU developed grass for much longer. Developed in 2010, NorthBridge bermuda grass serves as the base of the field in Kansas City. While both work great for the world of sports, the grasses can also be fit for neighborhood lawns, showing the true diversity of the bermuda grasses. These grasses did not just appear overnight, as some were in development at Oklahoma State upwards of 10 years.

Professor Dennis Martin, longtime turfgrass specialist at OSU, is proud to be a part of such storied agricultural program and provide service from the smallest of lawns to largest of stages.

“It’s fantastic,” Martin said. “I’ve always enjoyed it for all of my 32 years here, and I enjoy every day. Sometimes you don’t know what challenges you’ll face, but it’s always exciting and usually turns out pretty good.”

The grass may be a pretty sight to behold from onlookers and fans, but players seem to take much better to grass fields as well. With more give to the field, players can safely make cuts and quick movements with less of a worry for non-contact injuries. Brothers Jason and Travis Kelce, Jason being a center for the Eagles and Travis being a tight end for the Chiefs, went in depth on the topic in their hit podcast “New Heights”.

“I’d rather practice in sleet, snow or thunder storm with a chance of getting struck by lightning than to run inside on turf,” Kelce (Travis) said. Having OSU represented in the NFL is a large deal for the university, yet the researchers and staff are still not done working towards the future of grass development at Oklahoma State. “We’re absolutely thrilled,” Martin said. “We’re excited, beaming with pride of course and fingers crossed that nothing will go wrong. There’s no perfect grass, but these are really good grasses. They’ve been through hoops. They’ve been through the wringer before … good things are happening and we’ve got more good grasses in the experimental suit, so to speak, for the future.”

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“I’m here to speak to students about what they’re passionate about and what they feel their purpose in life is,” Stephens said. “It’s an honor to be able to talk to people who are so passionate about what you’re passionate about and bring them into your world, which will hopefully be their world.”

Fifteen exhibitors, ranging from universities to training schools, the National Guard and flight simulators, were available for students to explore and interact with. Following the panel speakers, various aerospace equipment was available for students to examine, and industry professionals were available to speak with interested students.

“It’s part of our land-grant mission,” Jacob said. “What OSU is really founded on is being able to serve the

Courtesyof OSU state and the community. And it’s not just through instruction and research, but also outreach. It’s part of our job to enlighten students to what new opportunities are out there to help make Oklahoma better.”