FOOTBALL

By Tyler Morris , CSFM

Each year in May , the National Football League ( NFL ) announces the specific dates for each game to be played during the upcoming season . As sports field manager at MetLife Stadium — home of the New York Giants and New York Jets — this announcement begins a planning phase for what maintenance the playing surface will need . With the unique challenge of hosting two clubs , this means that MetLife Stadium staff and I maintain the surface for 20 games a year .

Each season can bring a new set of challenges to overcome , and the 2024 season was unlike any other . Of the 20 games ( 22 when we include two colleges games ) we had four NFL weeks in which we hosted both teams . Those weeks present the most challenges because the standard for both teams remains the same — fully painted endzones , a new midfield logo and a complete building changeover . In those situations , our team must move quickly to ensure a successful changeover .

For example , the New York Jets hosted the Houston Texans on October 31 , and less than 72 hours later , on November 3 , the New York Giants hosted the Washington Commanders . The changeover process began not long after the last whistle sounded on the first game and the teams cleared the field . Around midnight on November 1 , our field team began scrubbing the field ; and the process of driving scrubber machines over the field lasted approximately three hours . Our painters and laborers then reported to the stadium at 7 a . m . on November 1 to complete field painting , which entails preparing the stencils on the field , measuring and ensuring the accuracy of placement , painting all the dots throughout the logo , and then fully painting each endzone with the color scheme and logos requested for that week . In this instance , the Giants requested a three-color endzone to pay homage

28 SportsField Management | March 2025 sportsfieldmanagementonline . com