AMHERST, N.Y. (WBEN).....Long time soccer coach and player Brendan Murphy knows a thing or two about different playing surfaces.
He's played on turf and natural grass, so he has some "boots on the ground" first hand experiences.
Those experiences serve as backdrop of what the Buffalo Bills are going through with their natural grass issues at Highmark Stadium but also why so many area high schools opt for turf as opposed to natural grass.
Many schools say turf is easier to maintain and, in the long run, less expensive.
"If you can get, well-maintained, smooth rolling grass, that is ideal," Murphy said.
As a junior at St. Lawrence University, Murphy saw - up close and personal - about why grass takes a while to settle.
St. Lawrence laid down a new grass field some weeks before its soccer season began.
The end result?
There were a lot of divots because the grass hadn't really settled.
But, by Murphy's senior year, it was a different story.
The grass was perfect,
"It takes time for any grass field to get established," Murphy said.
While the Bills are having a new grass field sodded and in place for its Sept. 17 home opener, many wonder if it will hold.
During the team's two preseason games and two open practices, divots could be seen from stands and some players raised it as an issue.
Murphy, who also in Amherst, SUNY Erie and D'Youville University, was at the Bills' Aug. 27 preseason game and noticed some of the divots.
"You know the players must have hated that," Murphy said.
Around Western New York, it is more common to see high schools use a rubberized or recycled turf on its playing fields.
This area is not alone.
According to the NCAA, 94 or 71% of the Division I football and soccer teams play on a turf field and only 29%. or 39 stadiums, use natural grass.
More than 80% of the Division II and Division III football and soccer teams have turf as opposed to grass.
"Maintenance is a major factor when it comes to grass," Murphy said. "You get a poorly maintained grass field and the (soccer) ball doesn't roll true. A bumpy grass field is worse than any artificial turf field."
Natural grass turf is better but needs to be maintained
Natural grass turf is better but needs to be maintained
