World-class grass gets World Cup ready

In 1988, when John “Trey” Rogers III became an assistant professor in the Michigan State University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, he came to East Lansing intent on developing applicable research and training graduates to make an impact in the world of scientific discovery.

“The late Professor Donald V. Waddington, my advisor at Penn State University, told me when I was just starting out and trying to find my path that ‘athletic fields and sports turf was the wave of the future.’ If I wanted to make a splash, sports turf was the way to go,” said Rogers, who now serves as the director of MSU’s Turfgrass Management Program.

Rogers’ opportunity to make his splash came in 1992 when the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, or FIFA, sought experts to make possible a sports feat never achieved — playing a World Cup soccer match on a natural grass surface inside a domed stadium.

In 1992, FIFA selected the Pontiac Silverdome in Michigan to host an indoor game in the 1994 tournament. Rogers and his team embarked on a two-year mission to develop a new portable tray system capable of supporting natural grass growth, transportation and installation into the stadium in a matter of days.

Revolutionizing turfgrass

At that time, modular sports turf systems were novel and untested. Spartan researchers and graduate students spent countless hours evaluating which grass species, soil types, fertility plans and light levels would work best to grow and support the turf.

MSU constructed a 6,600-square-foot model of the Pontiac Silverdome at the Hancock Turfgrass Research Center in East Lansing. Dubbed “Silverdome West,” the facility was the hub of research and application of sod-on-plastic and modular sports turf systems.

“FIFA had the vision and gave us the mission, and now it was up to us to make it possible,” said Rogers.

The use of the MSU system during the 1994 World Cup game was a success, establishing modular systems as a practical and applicable option for indoor natural grass fields.

“It was a massive effort, and it could not have been done without the brilliance and extreme effort put in by our students, many of whom have gone on to make their own careers and impact across the industry and academia,” said Rogers.

Going bigger

FIFA is preparing for another North American World Cup in 2026. This tournament is expanded to 48 teams playing 104 games in 16 host cities across Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Once again, FIFA turned to MSU and this time, for all 16 stadiums. With the larger effort, the team is working in partnership with University of Tennessee Turfgrass Science and Management faculty and students to ensure world-class playing surfaces in all stadiums.

“This is truly a second once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me, John Stier and John Sorochan,” said Rogers, who is leading the project with Sorochan, a former student of his who is now a distinguished professor at the University of Tennessee.

“Our collaboration with FIFA has been like a dream come true,” Rogers added. “We are excited to work with our sod farmers across the country who do the hard work growing the grass and our stadium managers who help us adapt the pitches to their unique venues.

“I appreciate FIFA for providing the vision and trust to let us do the work.”

The 2026 event is also a chance for a new crop of MSU graduate researchers to apply unique perspectives and make their mark on the sports turf world.

Meet the newest Spartan turfgrass management experts.