Ohio State is installing new turf at Ohio Stadium for the 2026 season.
OSU announced Friday that it will install a new playing surface at Ohio Stadium ahead of the 2026 season. The playing surface will feature Shaw Sports Turf’s Forge Series system, “a system-level product line designed to meet NFL standards, featuring Game ON technology that integrates field markings directly into the turf,” according to an Ohio State news release.
Updated and improved
— Ohio State Buckeyes (@OhioStAthletics) May 15, 2026
New turf at Ohio Stadium delivers enhanced branding opportunities, a fresh look, and is designed to meet NFL standards.
Read More: https://t.co/5a60TORngC pic.twitter.com/Zu66asRimy
“The new turf is a welcomed upgrade to Ohio Stadium to maintain the safety and performance of our players on gamedays,” Ryan Day said in a statement.
The announcement of the new turf comes on the same week Ohio State unveiled its new uniforms for the 2026 season, including updated home and away uniforms with silver sleeve stripes along with new all-black “Tunnel Vision” uniforms.
“Ohio State football and Nike represent two of the most iconic brands in sports, and this partnership has delivered uniform enhancements that honor our championship traditions while equipping our student-athletes with cutting-edge performance technology. Additionally, the new surface at Ohio Stadium takes this vision further — providing a dynamic playing surface that provides latest advancements in performance and safety and meets NFL standards and our staff will now be able to utilize customizable end zones that amplify themed game atmospheres and elevate the experience for fans inside the stadium and watching nationwide,” Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork said in a statement.
Ohio State previously replaced the turf at Ohio Stadium in 2022, but is now replacing that turf after just four years. Ohio Stadium’s turf has drawn scrutiny in recent years as players have been seen slipping on the turf during games, leading to concerns about the playing surface causing more injuries for players.
While there’s been a push from players at the NFL level for stadiums to replace turf with grass, Ohio State has no plans to switch back to grass inside Ohio Stadium due to the maintenance challenges associated with grass. The turf field allows Ohio State to use Ohio Stadium for non-football events such as concerts – even during the football season, as Ohio State announced Thursday that Twenty One Pilots will headline a concert at the Shoe on Oct. 17, the same weekend Ohio State will play Indiana on the road.
JUST ANNOUNCED: @twentyonepilots at Ohio Stadium on Saturday, October 17th with special guest @dcfc. Don't miss the biggest U.S. headline performance of their career. Sign up now for the artist presale: https://t.co/llEtzshiPX pic.twitter.com/8T56TvyzVC
— The Schott (@TheSchott) May 14, 2026
According to Shaw Sports Turf’s website, the Forge Series turf was designed to meet the NFL’s new synthetic turf testing requirements – which go into effect this year – and “integrates numbers, hash marks, yard lines, and logos directly into the turf, eliminating the cut-and-glue inlay process that has long challenged maintenance and installation crews across the industry.”
