Super Bowl grass or turf? How Allegiant Stadium prepped to avoid repeat of NFL's Arizona mistakes

Super Bowl 57 turned out to be a phenomenal game between the league's two best teams. The Chiefs defeated the Eagles 38-35 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. in 2023.

Unfortunately, one of the biggest talking points after the Super Bowl had nothing to do with the gameplay itself.

Both Chiefs and Eagles players were slipping on the "hybrid grass" field throughout the contest, with several players saying it was some of the worst conditions they ever played on.

The NFL has taken extra precautionary measures to ensure the same thing does not happen in Super Bowl 58 when the Chiefs take on the 49ers at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

What type of surface is this year's Super Bowl being played on? The Sporting News takes a closer look below.

MORE: Kyle Shanahan sounds off on Super Bowl practice field issues

Is the Super Bowl played on grass or turf in 2024?

Super Bowl 58 will be played on grass.

Even though Allegiant Stadium is a dome, it has a grass field that is on a track with wheels so it can be moved in and out of the stadium to get sunlight.

How Las Vegas stadium's natural grass field is grown

The NFL grows the grass for the Super Bowl years in advance. The league uses a hybrid grass that it grows over a two-year period, according to the Associated Press.

This year's grass field was laid on Allegiant Stadium's track ahead of the AFC and NFC championship games and will be rolled in and out of the arena to get extra sunlight ahead of Super Bowl 58. 

The NFL laid a new natural grass field on Allegiant Stadium’s field tray. Will sit outside for the next couple of weeks, then during Super Bowl week it will be moved in/out of the stadium as needed for rehearsals and such, before Super Bowl Sunday Feb. 11. #vegas #nfl #superbowl pic.twitter.com/hPX1FgX6on

— Mick Akers (@mickakers) January 19, 2024

“Those adjustments and a core maintenance program are in place so we’ll have an optimal field on game day," NFL executive vice president Peter O’Reilly said ahead of championship Sunday. "That natural grass surface, brand new, is installed right now, and a great team maintaining it as we head up to the Super Bowl.”

MORE: Sporting News experts make picks for 49ers vs. Chiefs in Super Bowl 58

The NFL is also taking extra precautionary measures to avoid the same issues it had during Super Bowl 57 between the Chiefs and Eagles.

“Its maintenance, as Peter mentioned, in Vegas is measured by a series of tools and metrics," said NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller. "The measures against the hardness, traction, all the many things that go into ensuring that a Super Bowl field can be played as well as can be. Our field manager expert has been on top of this for many weeks and is on site frequently and will be throughout the next couple of weeks in anticipation of the game.”

Super Bowl turf problems in 2023

Last year's Super Bowl was played at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., where the NFL experimented with a new type of "hybrid grass."

The new grass resulted in players slipping throughout the game, and several participants spoke out against the playing conditions after the fact. Eagles linebacker Hassan Reddick said he wouldn't use the field as an excuse, but he called the playing surface "the worst I ever played on."

"A couple times, I had a good pass rush, felt like I beat my man, tried to turn the corner and couldn’t turn the corner," Reddick said. "I’m not making excuses, but you watch the film, you’re going to see what I said. At the end of the day, they still won, so credit to them."

Why NFL players prefer grass

Traction and safety are the most simple answers for why NFL players prefer playing on grass.

After Aaron Rodgers suffered his season-ending Achilles injury on MetLife Stadium's turf field, the NFL Players Association made a statement that it wants the league to switch all of its fields to natural grass. Rodgers was injured on the Jets' first offensive drive of the season.

NFLPA Executive director Lloyd Howell spoke on behalf of the NFL players, stating they "overwhelmingly prefer it and the data is clear that grass is simply safer than artificial turf."

He added that the issue "has been near the top of the players' list during my team visits and one I have raised with the NFL ... This is worth the investment and it simply needs to change now."

How many NFL stadiums use grass vs. artificial turf?

Of the 30 stadiums in the NFL, there are 15 with artificial turf and 15 with grass or hybrid grass.

Here is a breakdown of which surface each team plays on in the NFL, courtesy of The Athletic: