Half of the NFL natural grass stadium fields are Tahoma 31 surfaces, including 2 out of 3 A-rated fields in the NFL
The 2026 NFL Player Scorecard, a survey of players from the 2025 – 2026 season, showed an overwhelming preference for natural grass over artificial turf. Of the top three home fields given an A rating — as voted on by the players themselves — two of the three stadium fields are grassed with Tahoma 31 Bermuda.
Seven of the 13 NFL teams playing on natural grass have Tahoma 31 on their home stadium field. In addition, the Kansas City Chiefs have Tahoma 31 at their practice facility but not in the stadium. We may expect that list to grow by at least one more next year as the Pittsburgh Steelers, whose stadium field is currently rated by players with an F- score, recently announced that they are planning to switch to Tahoma 31 ahead of the 2026 – 2027 season.
Here’s a breakdown of the Tahoma 31 NFL player preference rankings:
- A: Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens
- A-: San Francisco 49rs played on Tahoma 31 for the first time this past season
- B+: Jacksonville Jaguars and Washington Commanders
- B-: Cleveland Browns
- C : Chicago Bears
Key Benefits of Tahoma 31 Bermuda
- Exceptional cold tolerance
- Exceptional drought resistance. Uses significantly less water than other bermudagrasses including TifTuf
- Heals quickly from wear
- Outstanding tensile strength
- Fine texture suitable for most sports, including soccer, football, baseball, lacrosse and more.
- Utilized widely in the NFL, MLS, MLB, SEC and other colleges and sports facilities. Examples include: Philadelphia Eagles, Philadelphia Union, Baltimore Ravens, Arkansas Razorbacks, L.A. Dodgers & Angels, Purdue, and many more. See website for full list
- Early spring green-up
- Stays greener longer in the fall
Developed by the turfgrass experts at Oklahoma State University, Tahoma 31 pushes the geographic boundaries of bermudagrass into the northernmost reaches of the Transition Zone. Highly cold tolerant, the name “Tahoma” comes from the Native American word that means “frozen water,” and the grass lives up to its name. Sports facilities as far north as Colorado and Indiana benefit from Tahoma 31’s ability to stand up to cold winters yet thrive in hot summer temperatures. Tahoma 31 creates a sustainable and maintainable golf course with dramatically lower disease pressures compared to cool-season grasses . A tight, dense turf generally mowed as low as ¼ to ½-inch for excellent playability, with notable wear tolerance to heal quickly from divot damage, and strong drought tolerance to save water, its deep blue-green color offers stunning visual contrast for golf course design. Sod Production Services is the licensing agent for Tahoma 31 throughout the United States, South America, Asia and Oceania. Semillas Fito licenses Tahoma 31 in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
