SCG Fields, LLC was contracted to furnish and install the playing field system. Specific scope of work items included laser grading the surface subgrade, installation of field drainage, automated irrigation system, hydronic field heating system, playing field gravel, sand rootzone, Kentucky Bluegrass sod, and permanent goals and corner markers.
Minnesota United Allianz Field
With a cutting-edge design and one of the most intimate atmospheres in all of American soccer, Minnesota United Allianz Field serves as a model for future MLS stadium development.
The new stadium in St. Paul’s Midway neighborhood was years in the making. The construction of Allianz Field has been a long tease for area residents: located next to a busy freeway and one of St. Paul’s busiest intersections, the stadium has been in plain view for years now, from the first shovel in the ground to the construction of the steel ribbing to the planting of 192 trees to the installation of the outer mesh. The futuristic exterior tells all that this is no normal sports facility; a tour of the interior confirms that view.
Minnesota United was tasked with creating a stadium pitch that could withstand the cold of winter and the heat of summer.
The turf itself is a Kentucky bluegrass grown in Colorado and installed at the stadium. After giving the bluegrass time to settle down, the turf was then allowed to be dormant for the winter before being brought back this spring. That means utilizing a heating system using a combination of water and glycol over 27.5 miles of piping to raise the field temperature to 55 degrees.
From there, portable glow lights stimulate the turf, especially in the areas shaded by the canopy.
The pitch itself is elevated 18 inches, a design used in European stadiums but not found in MLS facilities. The elevated pitch, according to Miller, creates better sightlines for fans.