There are still plenty of questions, but we do know the Seattle Sounders and Seattle Seahawks have commissioned a study to see how feasible a natural grass surface would be at Qwest Field. The current Field Turf is nearing the end of its life, with the wear-and-tear of hosting a professional football and soccer team, along with countless other events, taking its toll. Now is as good a time as any to explore the best option going forward, whether it be natural grass or another synthetic turf.
Sounder at Heart’s Jeremiah Oshan was able to get a hold of Sounders general manager Adrian Hanauer on Wednesday and the two discussed the study and what may result. The grass study took the headlines, but Hanauer cautioned it doesn’t mean a natural surface is on the way. Instead, the partnership between the Sounders and Seahawks is the story, he says.
“A lot of variables will go into it,” Hanauer said of the study. “The ultimate conclusion may be to just keep doing what we’re doing. But the story is that we’re all (the Sounders, Seahawks and First & Goal, which operates Qwest) communicating and it’s a good time to revisit it. Technology has changed for grass and synthetic and maybe there’s something out there that we’re not aware of.”
While we don’t yet know what the study will find, the teams, along with First & Goal, are doing their homework while exploring every available option. It’s a process, but by taking a thorough approach, the Seahawks and Sounders can best evaluate which option will suit the needs of the Qwest Field tenants as a whole.
For more on the Sounders, visit Sounder at Heart. Be sure to read the rest of the interview with Adrian Hanauer, as well.