CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Financial institution of America Stadium will transition from pure grass to synthetic turf in time for the Carolina Panthers’ preseason schedule in August, leaving the NFL’s 32 groups with 16 grass venues.
The choice to change to FieldTurf was made to ensure a constant floor for not solely the Panthers but in addition different occasions. These occasions embrace the Charlotte Soccer Membership of Main League Soccer, which can start enjoying at BOA in 2022, faculty soccer video games and concert events.
There could possibly be as much as 30 skilled sports activities occasions alone performed on the stadium yearly.
Tepper Sports activities & Leisure vp and chief working officer Mark Hart stated it might be a “heavy raise” to have continued with pure grass, which the stadium has used because the Panthers performed their first sport there in 1996.
“We imagine an artificial floor gives the perfect answer,” Hart stated.
The group mentioned the change with the gamers from the Panthers and Charlotte Soccer Membership earlier than making the ultimate choice.
“We’ve conveyed our dedication to the gamers to keep up this discipline at a degree in line with the best requirements,” Hart stated.
Along with NFL and MLS video games, the Panthers historically host faculty soccer openers, the ACC championship and the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. Georgia and Clemson will kick off the 2021 faculty soccer season at BOA Stadium on Sept. four.
The stadium is on maintain for a number of concert events in 2022 that had been postponed due to the pandemic.
“[David Tepper’s] imaginative and prescient is for the constructing to be a group asset,” Hart stated of the workforce proprietor.
BOA’s grass floor constantly has ranked among the many finest within the NFL, in keeping with surveys by the NFL Gamers Affiliation. The NFLPA traditionally has been in opposition to synthetic surfaces.
NFLPA president JC Tretter wrote final 12 months that his group would like each workforce change to pure grass for well being and security functions. Analysis has proven that fewer accidents happen on grass.
However with the elevated quantity of occasions at BOA, it was determined FieldTurf that already is in use at Atlanta, Detroit, New England, Seattle and the New York Giants/Jets, along with 11 NFL apply amenities, would supply probably the most constant floor.
Work is predicted to start on the transition within the coming days.