Tri-Turf Sod Farms
Published March 21, 2026
When it comes to athletic performance and player safety, the surface beneath an athlete's cleats matters more than most people realize. At Tri-Turf Sod, we believe that live, natural sod isn't just better for your field — it's better for the players on it. The science backs us up.
The Injury Numbers Don't Lie
Study after study has found that artificial turf puts athletes at significantly greater risk of injury than natural grass.
A University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University study analyzing data from 26 high school athletic trainers found that athletes were 58% more likely to sustain an injury during athletic activity on artificial turf, with injury rates significantly higher for football, soccer, and rugby athletes. (Source)
The risks aren't limited to high school fields. A comprehensive study published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine analyzing all 1,280 NFL regular-season games between 2012 and 2016 found that players on synthetic turf faced a 16% higher injury rate per play compared to those on natural grass — and that 319 fewer lower extremity injuries would have been expected if the natural grass injury rate had applied to games played on synthetic turf. (Source)
Knee and ankle injuries are among the most concerning:
- For knee injuries, the risk on artificial turf increased by 46%
- For ankle and foot injuries, the risk rose to 68%
- Injuries causing an 8-day absence saw ankle and foot injury risk on synthetic turf soaring to 103% higher than on natural grass
That's not a minor statistical footnote — that's a career-altering difference. Tri-Turf Sod exists to keep athletes on the field, not on the sideline.
Why Natural Sod Is Kinder to Joints
The physics of natural grass is a big part of why Tri-Turf Sod fields protect athletes. As Mass General Brigham explains:
"A natural surface accommodates the cleat — its ability to allow the cleat to move and break free decreases built-up force trying to leave the leg. On a turf surface, the cleat can't move as well, so that force has nowhere else to go except back up the leg."
In plain terms: when an athlete cuts, pivots, or plants their foot on a Tri-Turf Sod field, the ground gives a little. On artificial turf, it doesn't — and that difference is what tears ligaments.
The Heat Hazard
Injury risk is only part of the story. Artificial turf creates a dangerous heat environment for athletes, especially during summer practices and games.
Research from Penn State's Center for Sports Surface Research found that natural grass surfaces are often 35–55°F cooler than artificial turf under the same sunny conditions. (Source)
Outdoor artificial turf can reach dangerous temperatures of over 160°F in the summer sun, while natural grass rarely exceeds 100°F — leading to complaints of skin burns and extreme heat penetrating athletes' shoes. (Source)
A Tri-Turf Sod field stays cool, keeping exertional heat illness risk low and athletes performing at their best through summer heat.
Chemical Exposure: A Hidden Risk
Beyond injuries and heat, artificial turf carries a chemical concern that live sod simply doesn't.
Artificial turf contains hundreds of harmful chemicals including lead, heavy metals, benzene, arsenic, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), PFAS, and phthalates — some of which are carcinogens, neurotoxins, and/or endocrine disruptors. (Source)
Children and athletes are most vulnerable, as they play on these surfaces and breathe in, absorb through the skin, and even ingest turf dust, microplastics, and corresponding toxic chemicals.
Tri-Turf Sod is just grass — living, breathing, natural grass. No chemical cocktail, no microplastics, no guesswork about what your athletes are absorbing during a three-hour practice.
The Pros Know It Too
This isn't just an academic debate. The NFL Players Association has formally asked to play only on natural grass, stating that artificial turf causes "unnecessary injuries," especially non-contact injuries of the legs such as meniscus tears and abrasion burns.
The FIFA World Cup Soccer association and U.S. national soccer teams always require grass playing fields. (Source)
When the world's top athletes and their unions are unified on the issue, that's a signal worth heeding — whether you're managing a professional stadium or a local high school field.
Tri-Turf Sod: The Natural Advantage
At Tri-Turf Sod Farms, we supply premium live sod for golf courses, athletic fields, and sports complexes across Tennessee and Kentucky. Our top picks for athletic surfaces are Tifway 419 Bermuda — the industry standard for sports turf — and Latitude 36 Bermuda, which adds extended cold tolerance for the transition zone. For facilities that need shade tolerance, Geo Zoysia performs where Bermuda can't.
Whether you're outfitting a community sports complex, a school athletic field, or a practice facility, Tri-Turf delivers a surface backed by science and built for safety. We also offer sprigging services for large-acreage athletic projects where full sod isn't practical.
Your athletes push themselves every day. The least we can do is give them ground worth playing on.
Ready to make the switch to natural sod? Contact Tri-Turf Sod today or get a free estimate for your field project.
Sources: University Hospitals / Case Western Reserve University; American Journal of Sports Medicine (2019); Mass General Brigham Sports Medicine; Penn State Center for Sports Surface Research; Clean Water Action; MDPI Sustainability (2025)
Ready to Talk to Our Team?
Whether you need sod for a backyard, a sports field, or a commercial project — Tri-Turf has you covered. Get a free estimate or give us a call.
