Ohio Stadium is trading in its old playing surface this summer, and for a short stretch fans are being invited to watch the swap happen in real time from down on the field. Ohio Stadium Tours is rolling out a limited two-week "Turf Tours" experience that takes visitors to field level and, while supplies last, lets ticket holders walk away with a piece of the removed National Championship turf as a souvenir.
Ohio State said in a news release that the new surface will use Shaw Sports Turf’s Forge Series system with Game ON® technology and is being installed by The Motz Group. The field will remain sponsored as Safelite Field and is expected to be in place for the 2026 football season, according to Ohio State athletics. The university has framed the upgrade as a way to keep the Shoe "game-ready" while giving athletic staff more flexibility for themed-game branding and special events.
From July 22 to 31, the Turf Tours route guests through the press box, the NetJets Landing, the Huntington Club and the band center before delivering them to field level. Each guest receives a piece of National Championship turf while supplies last, as reported by The Columbus Dispatch. The Dispatch’s photo gallery shows staff and athletics personnel handling the old surface and prepping souvenir strips for visitors, turning a routine facilities project into a low-key memorabilia grab.
Installation and timeline
Contractors from The Motz Group were on site July 22 pulling up the old turf and laying down new sections, with wire images capturing crews at work, according to Reuters. The project follows a 2022 replacement and comes as programs increasingly move to monofilament systems and embedded-marking technology. Eleven Warriors notes that the Forge Series is built to meet updated synthetic-turf testing standards and to simplify inlaid graphics.
Shaw’s Game ON® technology embeds numbers, hash marks and logos directly into the turf, which the university says cuts down on seams and speeds up future installs. In other words, it should be easier to switch up the look of the field without tearing everything apart each time Ohio State wants a new twist for a big Saturday.
How to see it
Tickets for the Turf Tours are limited and are being sold through the Ohio Stadium Tours booking site, according to Ohio Stadium Tours. Visitors are told to expect active work zones near field level and to follow staff instructions for safety while crews continue the installation during the late July window.
Why it matters
Beyond the fresh look, the upgrade gives Ohio State a surface that aligns with current testing standards and offers more options for game day and special-event branding. For Buckeyes fans, the brief Turf Tours run is a rare opportunity to see the Shoe getting its field redone up close, and to head home with a literal piece of the program’s recent championship history tucked under an arm.
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