Ravens Re-Sod Field After Less Than 2 Seasons

Crews have spent the past three days replacing the sod at M&T Bank Stadium, even though it has only seen a season and a half of play.

Replacement of the sod was actually planned and budgeted back in May for a variety of reasons. Roy Sommerhof Sr., the team's vice president of stadium operations, says it has to do with wear and tear, and the fact that November and December are not good grass-growing times in Baltimore. And Sommerhof says the goal is to have the playing field as pristine as possible.

The old sod was blown in trucks and hauled away starting this past Monday, then 22 truckloads of the Ravens specially grown Bermuda grass was brought here from the Ravens' farm near Charlotte, North Carolina. Crews have spent three days installing 3-inch thick, 3-foot wide, 50-foot long pieces of sod. It will be cared for and will be ready for the Ravens' next home game Monday, November 27.

Sommerhof says the team is spending about $150,000 to replace 77,000 square feet of sod, which comes out to be about 1 3/4 acres.