2 hours ago - Sports

Artificial turf returns to Lumen Field after World Cup

Melissa Santos

Closeup of grass and a "Please Keep Off" sign in the middle of a stadium with sky above. — The grass at Lumen Field for this summer's World Cup games was short-lived. Photo: Buda Mendes/Getty Images

Artificial turf is back at Lumen Field, even though the athletes who play there generally prefer grass, The Seattle Times reports.

Catch up quick: As part of its transformation for this summer's World Cup, Lumen was briefly outfitted with a grass pitch to comply with FIFA regulations.

That grass was removed and replaced with artificial FieldTurf after the soccer tournament ended.

The big picture: Seattle's wet, cold winters are part of what makes maintaining grass difficult at Lumen, the Times reports.

So does the stadium's busy schedule — it hosts three professional sports teams, in addition to concerts and other events.

Yes, but: A grass field could be possible in Seattle with careful installation — and possibly a sod farm nearby to help replace damaged areas, Michael Neff, professor of crop biotechnology at Washington State University, told the Times.

Case in point: T-Mobile Park next door uses grass, relying on an underground heating system to combat Seattle's winter chill.

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Artificial turf returns to Lumen Field after World Cup

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