Ohio State University Reinforces Practice Football Field with SIS GRASS Hybrid

Ohio State University has completed the installation of SIS GRASS Hybrid stitching into the highest-wear zones of its football practice field, reinforcing the areas that take the heaviest use throughout the season.

The practice field sees repeated, concentrated use around the hash marks and other high traffic zones – areas that wear far faster than the rest of the surface under repetitive drills. Rather than treating the whole field, we targeted just these zones, stitching at a spacing of 0.8in x 0.8in (2cm x 2cm) and a depth of 3.1in (80mm), reinforcing exactly where the wear happens.

SIS GRASS Hybrid is a stitched hybrid grass system: 95% natural grass, reinforced with synthetic fibres cut and injected into the surface’s rootzone. As the natural grass grows, its roots entangle with the fibres to form a stronger root network, improving stability and durability without losing the feel of a natural surface underfoot. It’s designed to withstand significantly more play than natural grass alone, with faster recovery from damage.

• The main benefits are more play and less downtime. Because the synthetic fibres reinforce the root zone, hybrid surfaces can withstand up to three times more use than natural grass alone, and recover faster from damage, staying in a safe, consistent state under heavy use.
• The surface stays 95% natural grass. Roots grow deeper and entangle with the stitched fibres, forming a stronger network and a cleaner, more aerobic growing environment, so the field performs like natural grass, not artificial.
• Consistent and stable underfoot. Less ground erosion and undulation in high-wear areas means more reliable playing characteristics, and better player safety, over the life of the surface.
• Designed to last. With the correct maintenance, a hybrid surface can last more than eight years, holding its appearance even in the highest-wear zones as the fibres become increasingly hard to see.
• Little change to how it’s maintained. Normal fertilizing, over-seeding, sand top-dressing and maintenance continue exactly as they would on any natural grass surface.
• Fast to install. SIS Pitches stitching process is over four times quicker than competing systems, installing a field in as little as three days.

For Ohio State University, it’s a clear example of the flexibility of hybrid grass, the benefits don’t require a full field install, just targeting the areas that matter most.