One of the most well known structures in Columbia, South Carolina is Williams-Brice Stadium. This stadium is home to the University of South Carolina Football team. On Saturdays from late summer through the fall tens of thousands of fans pack into the stadium to watch the Gamecocks take on various opponents. Both the stadium and the field it encloses have undergone various renovations. During the seventies the grass field was replaced with artificial turf. In 1983 the astroturf was replaced with natural grass which is a far superior playing surface.
Many fans of the Gamecocks appreciate the quality and aesthetic of the grass found in Williams-Brice Stadium on game days. The grounds crew for the university does a phenomenal job making sure the grass looks nice and green when the team takes the field. They also stripe the turf every five yards which makes the field look incredible. The quality of the turf makes some fans curious about the species of grass used. The species has remained relatively constant through the years but the variety has changed quite a bit. The most recent change came with the turf replacement after the Jay Z concert in 2018.
Is The Grass in Williams-Brice Stadium Real?
The grass in most major division I college football stadiums is usually some of the best looking grass you will see anywhere. Sometimes the turf is actually artificial grass. Artificial turf became a popular alternative to natural grass in the 70s. Many college football stadiums made a switch to Astro Turf. Williams-Brice had artificial Astro Turf, from 1970 until 1983. In 1983 the artificial grass was removed and replaced with a natural grass surface.
Today Williams-Brice Stadium sports a real natural grass playing surface for the players. The grass is meticulously maintained to provide the South Carolina football players the best playing surface possible.
Although the University of South Carolina athletic department still opt for a real grass playing surface, some schools are reverting back to artificial grass as the technology has developed a lot since the 70s. Today’s artificial grass has long blades with rubber beads that provide a more natural feel. For now Williams-Brice is going to stick with real grass.
What Species of Grass is Used on The Field in Williams-Brice Stadium?
The turf grass manager for the University of South Carolina uses a warm season species of grass in Williams-Brice Stadium. This is a smart move considering the intense sun and heat that the field receives through the bulk of the season. The exact species of grass that is used on the field in Williams-Brice stadium is Bermuda. Bermuda is an extremely heat and drought tolerant species of grass that thrives in Columbia’s Heat.
If you have ever seen a picture of Williams-Brice Stadium in the winter time you will notice that it looks very brown. This is because Bermuda grass is a warm season grass and goes dormant in cooler weather. Some people wonder how they keep the field green for the home game against Clemson in late November. The answer to this question is a combination of fertilizer and over seeding. The grounds crew at Williams-Brice Stadium applies copious amounts of fertilizer to make the Bermuda grass look green on game day.
The same techniques are used on the grass fields at the new Football Operations Facility. Even in winter and early spring the fields will be green. This is achieved by over seeding the Bermuda with a cool season grass like Annual Ryegrass. This grass will stay green in cooler weather, then die off once the Bermuda starts to kick in. This technique can be utilized in lawns at your own home with our Columbia, SC lawn care service. If you have a warm season grass and do not like the brown color in the winter, you may want to consider over seeding your lawn with annual ryegrass in mid-fall.
If you have any specific questions about the grass in Williams-Brice Stadium, or any questions about how you can fertilize or over seed your warm season lawn, please comment below and we will get back to you as soon as possible!
