The grass playing field at the University of Phoenix for Super Bowl XLII is a remarkable feat:
  • It is the first of its kind in North America.
  • It resides outside, except for football and soccer events, on a slight northwest to southeast axis for maximum sun exposure and nourishment. Being outside also eliminates humidity problems inside and provides unrestricted access to the stadium floor for events and staging.
  • The grass field rolls out of the football stadium on the tray which which rests on 13 rail tracks and moves in and out of the stadium on 546 steel wheel assemblies (42 rows). 76 of the wheel sets are powered by a 1 horsepower motor.
  • The width of the football field is 234 feet wide by 403 feet long and 39 inches deep and weighs 18.9 million pounds.
  • The grass is Tifway-419, a Bermuda hybrid and was planted by using stolens. The football field will support approximately 94,000 sq feet (over 2 acres of grass) of natural grass. It has a sophisticated irrigation system that works on timers and can be customized. The water can drain through a 1 inch deep mat and several pipes that lead to a main drain underneath the field tray. A few inches of water remain in the tray while the field is in play to keep it moist  
  • The rollout field at the University of Phoenix also saves $50 million in costs, since it is cheaper to move the field than to open the retractable roof. It travels at a speed of 11.5 feet per minute (1/8 mph) and takes approximately 75 minutes to travel 741 feet.