How Many NFL Fields Are Heated?

How Many NFL Fields Are Heated?
You may be surprised to know that all but a handful of NFL stadiums have some form of field heating.

Introduction

Approximately twelve to thirteen NFL stadiums have some form of field heating installed, mostly in the north where snow and cold temperatures are more common. You’ll find field heaters in Chicago, Green Bay, New England, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, Kansas City, Minnesota, New York (Jets and Giants), Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and San Francisco. Toronto also has a heated playing surface.

How Many Fields Are Heated?

The short answer is that all fields are heated. The long answer is that all but one field are heated. The single exception is the home field of the Green Bay Packers, which is located in Wisconsin. Even Lambeau Field is heated, but only the playing surface itself. The sidelines and end zones are not heated.

All Fields

The short answer is that all of them are, but there are a few exceptions. There are a few football fields that don’t have any kind of heating system installed. The most notable example is Lambeau Field, home of the Green Bay Packers. The field is built on top of a landfill, and the result is that the ground underneath the field is actually warmer than the air above it. That said, even Lambeau Field has a heated bench for the players to use during cold weather games.

There are also a handful of colleges who have experimented with unheated fields in recent years. Most notably, the University of Michigan installed an unheated field at their stadium in 2014. The thinking behind it was that the field would be better suited to handle cold weather games without a heating system in place. The experiment didn’t last long, though, as the field was deemed too dangerous for play and was quickly replaced with a heated one.

Most Fields

The majority of NFL fields are heated, especially those in northern cities where snow and ice are common in the fall and winter. The earliest incarnation of an artificial playing surface was AstroTurf, which was installed in the Houston Astrodome in 1966.

AstroTurf became popular among NFL teams in the 1970s, but it fell out of favor in the 1990s due to concerns about player safety. In recent years, several teams have installed artificial turf fields that feature a layer of padding to reduce the risk of injuries.

In 2018, there are 19 NFL teams that play their home games on natural grass and 13 teams that have artificial turf fields. Of the 13 teams with artificial turf, eight have fields that are heated. Here is a list of all 32 NFL teams and their playing surfaces:

Arizona Cardinals – Grass
Atlanta Falcons – Grass
Baltimore Ravens – Grass
Buffalo Bills – Grass
Carolina Panthers – Grass
Chicago Bears – Grass
Cincinnati Bengals – Grass
Cleveland Browns – Grass
Dallas Cowboys – Grass
Denver Broncos- Grass
Detroit Lions- Artificial Turf (Heated)
Green Bay Packers- Grass
Houston Texans- Grass
Indianapolis Colts- Artificial Turf (Heated) Jacksonville Jaguars- Grass Kansas City Chiefs- Artificial Turf (Heated) Los Angeles Chargers- Grass Los Angeles Rams- Artificial Turf (Heated) Miami Dolphins- Artificial Turf Minnesota Vikings- Artificial Turf (Heated) New England Patriots- Artificial Turf (Heated) New Orleans Saints- Grass New York Giants- Artificial Turf (Heated) New York Jets- Artificial Turf Oakland Raiders- Artifical Turf Philadelphia Eagles- Artifical Turf Pittsburgh Steelers- Grass Seattle Seahawks grass San Francisco 49ers grass Tampa Bay Buccaneers grass Tennessee Titans grass Washington Redskins grass

A Few Fields

Although it’s rare for all 32 NFL stadiums to have heated fields, a few stadiums do have this technology. The first stadium to install heated turf was Lincoln Financial Field, home of the Philadelphia Eagles. The cost to heat this field was $6 million. Today, there are a handful of other stadiums with some form of heated turf, including:
-M&T Bank Stadium (Baltimore Ravens)
– Gillette Stadium (New England Patriots)
– Sports Authority Field at Mile High (Denver Broncos)
– MetLife Stadium (New York Giants and New York Jets)

Why Are Fields Heated?

There are a total of 32 NFL fields heated. The main reason for this is to prevent injuries to the players. When the field is heated, it helps to keep the players from slipping and falling. This is especially important during the winter months when the weather can be unpredictable.

Temperature

While most NFL stadiums have switched to artificial turf in recent years, there are still a few teams that play on natural grass. For those teams, playing in cold weather can be a challenge. In order to keep the playing surface soft and playable in cold weather, some stadiums have installed heating systems under the field.

Heating systems are not just for NFL fields, however. They are also used on soccer fields, baseball fields, and golf courses. The USGA even allows for the use of heated golf greens during tournaments.

There are a few different ways to heat a field. The most common is to use underground pipes that circulate hot water or steam. This system is similar to the ones used to heat homes and office buildings. Another way to heat a field is to use electricity to generate heat directly under the playing surface. This system is less common because it can be more expensive to operate.

So why go through the trouble and expense of heating a field? There are a few reasons. First, it can improve player safety by preventing injuries that can occur when players slip on cold, hard surfaces. Heated fields can also extend the playing season by allowing games and practices to be held when it would otherwise be too cold outside. Finally, heated fields can improve the quality of play by providing a consistent playing surface throughout the season.

Field Conditions

Players and fans alike want ideal playing conditions on game day, but unfortunately, that’s not always possible. Whether it’s due to rain, snow, or simply freezing temperatures, bad weather can put a damper on the game. That’s why many NFL stadiums have heated fields — to ensure that the players can perform at their best, no matter what the weather is like outside.

So how do teams keep their fields warm enough to play on? Generally speaking, there are two ways to heat an NFL field: by using an underground heating system or by using inflatable field covers.

Underground Heating Systems
The most common way to heat an NFL field is by using an underground heating system. This type of system uses a network of pipes that are buried beneath the field’s surface. Hot water or steam is then circulated through these pipes in order to raise the temperature of the ground above them.

Inflatable Field Covers
Another way to heat an NFL field is by using inflatable field covers. These covers are essentially giant blankets that are placed over the field in order to trap heat and keep the playing surface warm. Inflatable field covers are typically used in conjunction with underground heating systems; the cover helps to keep the heat from escaping, while the underground system provides the actual heat.

Who Heats the Fields?

The playing field must be heated so that the players are able to play in comfort and so that the playing surface is not damaged. The heating system must be able to maintain a temperature of between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. The field must also be able to drain properly so that the players are not playing in puddles of water.

The Teams

The following NFL teams have heated fields:
-New England Patriots
-Dallas Cowboys
-Baltimore Ravens
-Chicago Bears
-Cincinnati Bengals
-Green Bay Packers
-Indianapolis Colts
-Kansas City Chiefs
-Miami Dolphins
-Minnesota Vikings
-New Orleans Saints
-New York Giants
-New York Jets
-Oakland Raiders
-Philadelphia Eagles
-Pittsburgh Steelers
-San Diego Chargers
-San Francisco 49ers

The Stadiums

While most fans think of football being played in cold weather, only a handful of NFL stadiums have heated fields. The stadiums that do have heated fields are:
-Ford Field (Detroit Lions)
– Lambeau Field (Green Bay Packers)
-MetLife Stadium (New York Giants and New York Jets)
-M&T Bank Stadium (Baltimore Ravens)
– Gillette Stadium (New England Patriots)
-NRG Stadium (Houston Texans)
– ATM&T Stadium (Dallas Cowboys)

How Is the Heat Applied?

The playing field is heated using a system of pipes that are buried beneath the turf. The pipes are filled with a heated fluid, and the heat is then transferred to the turf. This system of heating the playing field is called radiant heating.

Infrared Heating

There are two types of radiant floor heating: infrared and electromagnetic. Both types offer substantial advantages over forced-air heating, which uses ducts to circulate warmed air throughout a house. Radiant floor heating is also called hydronic floor heating or in-floor heating.

Infrared radiant floor heating relies on heat lamps to warm floors and other surfaces. The lamps emit infrared waves, which are absorbed by whatever they touch, causing the object to heat up. This type of radiant floor heating is often used in industrial and commercial settings, as well as in some high-end homes.

Electromagnetic radiant floor heating uses cables buried beneath floors or installed behind panels to generate heat. This type of radiant floor heating is less expensive than infrared radiant floor heating and is more commonly used in residential settings.

Electric Heating

Electric Heating
Electricity is the most commonly used form of energy for heating NFL fields. The first heated field in the NFL was Baltimores Memorial Stadium, home of the Colts, which installed an electric heating system in 1959. The system worked by running electrical current through a grid of buried cables. The heat generated by the resistance of the current to flow through the cables would then radiate up into the air and onto the playing surface. Today, many different types of electric heating systems are used by NFL teams, but they all work on basically the same principle.

Pros: Electric heating is very efficient and can be very precisely controlled.

Cons: Electric heating can be expensive to operate, and if a power outage occurs, the field will not be heated.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is clear that not every NFL team heats their playing field. Some companies have contracts with teams to heat the field, while others do not. There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as each team makes its own decision on whether or not to heat its playing field.