Bank of America Stadium will be changing its surface from natural grass to FieldTurf ahead of Charlotte FC's inaugural MLS season next year, it was announced Wednesday.
In a statement, ownership group Tepper Sports & Entertainment said they came to the decision after realizing the load of events the stadium would host both this year and next year. In addition to hosting Charlotte FC and Carolina Panthers home matches, the venue will host college and high school football games, as well as concerts. Bank of America Stadium has also hosted early voting events, mass vaccination events, and festivals.
"With two major professional sports franchises using Bank of America Stadium, and more events upcoming, having a natural grass surface is going to be a heavy lift," Tepper Sports & Entertainment vice president and chief operating officer Mark Hart said in the statement. "We believe a synthetic surface provides the best solution."
The group noted the grass surface's popularity with NFL players, and said they reached out to players from both the NFL team and the MLS team before making the announcement.
Charlotte would become the sixth MLS team to play on turf, following Atlanta United, the New England Revolution, the Portland Timbers, the Seattle Sounders, and the Vancouver Whitecaps.
