The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s world-renowned turfgrass program, led by Distinguished Professor John Sorochan, is earning national and international headlines ahead of FIFA World Cup 26, as journalists and fans turn their attention to the science and research behind safe, high-performance playing surfaces.
The mission to achieve this ambitious goal began nearly five years ago when the FIFA Pitch Management Team selected UT, in collaboration with Michigan State University, to research, develop, deliver and maintain consistent pitches across three countries — a project unprecedented in scope and scale.
From the lab to the field, UT is at the forefront of discovery and innovation, translating research into a lasting impact. The selected coverage below reflects that work in action, spotlighting UT’s excellence.
National Recognition
The New York Times, the “Today” show, “PBS NewsHour,” The Washington Post, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, the Associated Press, Business Insider, NPR, ESPN, The Atlantic and USA Today represent just a handful of the national media outlets that have covered UT’s turfgrass research for FIFA World Cup 26. Explore some of the major highlights below.
- “PBS NewsHour”: What it takes to create the perfect pitch for the World Cup
- NBC’s “Today” show: Inside the Preps for the 2026 FIFA World Cup
- The Wall Street Journal: FIFA Is Staking Its $3.8 Billion World Cup on Unprecedented Grass Experiment
- The Washington Post: Quest to get perfect grass into 16 World Cup stadiums
- The Associated Press: The World Cup pitches are the result of years of engineering to find just the right grass
- NPR “Weekend Edition”: John Sorochan explains the agronomic feat needed a perfect FIFA World Cup grass pitch
- The New York Times: The Scientific Quest for a Perfect World Cup Field
- The New York Times: The Secrets of a Soccer-Turf Master
- Fox Sports: How Grass Technology Gave USA a Pitch-Perfect Assist in Its Big World Cup Win
International Coverage
With teams from 48 nations featured in the year’s World Cup — the largest in history — international interest in the event has led to global headlines for UT’s research.
- BBC: World Cup history will be made on this grass. These scientists have spent decades perfecting it
- Este Pais: For eight years, scientists and specialists developed the surfaces that will be used in the 2026 World Cup.
- CBC: FIFA takes its grass very, very seriously
- The Globe and Mail: Growing grass for the 2026 World Cup has been a years-long science project. Here’s how it’s going, from B.C. to Tennessee
Top Industry Journals
Beyond mainstream news outlets, UT’s turfgrass experts are being recognized as scientific authorities across industry, science and sports business sectors.
- Scientific American: Inside the 2026 World Cup’s push to engineer the perfect pitch
- Science News Explores: Perfect pitch? Scientists lay new grounds for World Cup
- SportsField Management: Bringing UT’s turfgrass expertise to FIFA World Cup 26
- TurfNet: Beyond the Green with John Sorochan
- USGA Green Section: Creating the Perfect Pitch for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with Dr. John Sorochan
Local and Regional Impact
Local and regional coverage has played an essential role in telling the story of UT’s turfgrass program, connecting the science and research to the Volunteer State.
- Knoxville News-Sentinel: Got turf? World Cup research in its 11th hour before June 11 kickoff
- Knoxville News-Sentinel: Why Tennessee fans can beam with pride over 2026 FIFA World Cup playing fields
- Local 3 News (Chattanooga): UT professor spent years researching grass science ahead of 2026 FIFA World Cup
- WBIR: UT launches website with years of research on turf for FIFA World Cup 2026
- WATE: FIFA officials visit UT Knoxville as World Cup field preparations ramp up