FIFA, soccer’s international governing body, is considering how to prepare stadiums and training grounds for the 2026 World Cup and maintain perfect pitches. It pays two universities, Tennessee and Michigan State, a total of $3.13 million.
The agreement, obtained by Sportico through a public records request, is structured so that Tennessee is considered the “primary recipient” of the project and Michigan is designated as a “subrecipient.” Therefore, Tennessee is “responsible for the performance of MSU,” the agreement states.
The two schools will split the FIFA funding evenly, which will cover researchers’ salaries and fringe benefits, travel expenses, materials and supplies, graduate student tuition and fees, and other direct costs. The University of Tennessee Research Foundation is also participating in the arrangement.
The upcoming Men’s World Cup will be the first to span three different countries – the United States, Canada and Mexico – and will require a range of turfs to perform in both cool, dry environments and hot, tropical environments. The quadrennial international soccer championship follows this summer’s Copa America matches hosted by the United States, which drew criticism over the quality and conditions of the stadiums.
The 2026 World Cup will see 48 teams play in stadiums and numerous practice facilities in 16 cities. As stated in the agreement, the purpose of the research is to make the conditions of the playing surface as uniform as possible by studying turf paper types for “soccer ball roll, ball bounce, and consistency.” be.
FIFA originally signed a research agreement with Tennessee on January 1, 2022, five months before the host city and venue opened to the public. The agreement was subsequently amended to August 2023, changing when pre-award costs would be approved but leaving the total amount of funding unchanged. Tennessee then signed another agreement with Michigan State University.
This spring, Tennessee hosted a World Cup Turf Inspection Day attended by FIFA delegations and “pitch managers” from each of the host city’s stadiums. A follow-up meeting was held at Michigan State University earlier this month.
FIFA’s senior pitch management manager Alan David Ferguson said at the time: “At this stage of pitch preparation, we are pleased with what the teams have studied and have already been able to achieve.”
The project, first reported by Sportico last October, was created by John Sorochan, distinguished professor of turfgrass science and management at Tennessee State University’s Institute of Agriculture, and John “Trey” Rogers III, professor of turfgrass research at MSU. Leading. For the 1994 World Cup, Rodgers helped prepare the field inside the Pontiac Silverdome, former home of the Detroit Lions and the first indoor World Cup venue.
The current study is budgeted to be completed in June, a year before the 2026 World Cup matches are scheduled to begin, and all outward signs so far are that it is on track. It shows that there is. Sorochan praised the partnership in a statement, saying it was “the first time in history” that FIFA has supported “scientific research to improve future World Cups”. (FIFA’s chief legal officer, Emilio García Silvero, currently teaches a soccer law class at the University of Miami.)
“FIFA’s research support will allow us to further develop and perfect our temporary turf and usher in incredible times,” Rodgers said in a statement.
Michigan’s document, titled “Budget Justification,” outlines interim staffing needs for research technicians with a base salary of $63,085 per year. Two graduate research assistants earn $2,250 per month. and 2,000 “temporary/hourly workers” from faculty or temporary staff earning $12.50 per hour.
The overall research agreement considered a number of performance milestone events expected to be achieved by the second quarter of 2023, 2024 and 2025. For example, one of the first milestones was for the research team to identify which shock pads to place under the playing surface. It can absorb 168 pounds of force, which is equivalent to the average weight of a 2018 World Cup player.
By early this year, researchers were supposed to have identified the best light growing systems for growing turf, as well as the turf species and varieties suited to indoor arena conditions. By June of this year, all data from indoor testing would be incorporated into specific recommendations for each of the 16 host stadiums. The next iteration of the project will complete the design phase, discuss with suppliers and confirm the selection of fertilizers and chemicals to be used on the pitch.
A key focus of research contracts concerns the assignment of rights to intellectual property and creative works arising from the research, in addition to the deliverables.
For example, the agreement states that FIFA can pay the University of Tennessee Research Foundation for an “exclusive license with worldwide royalties” to exploit the Turf Project’s jointly owned intellectual property. . The Research Foundation and FIFA will therefore have 12 months to negotiate a “mutually satisfactory commercialization agreement”. Remarkably, researchers are already discussing how their findings could benefit other facilities, from the NFL to local parks and recreation departments.
To date, there are no known patent applications yet resulting from this research.
The University will fully own the equipment purchased for the project. It also has the right to publish the results of its research, as long as it is not deemed to have an “adverse impact” on FIFA’s interests and a copy of the manuscript is provided to the governing body in advance.
Jacob Feldman contributed to this report.
