A Michigan State University research associate attended Southwestern Michigan College’s “Ag Day” April 10 to provide a grassroots sneak preview of next year’s FIFA World Cup soccer tournament across North America.

Dr. Jack Guevara, who is originally from the Philippines, outlined extensive turfgrass research done with the University of Tennessee-Knoxville to develop perfect sod playing surfaces across 16 host cities in Canada, the United States and Mexico.

The tournament June 11-July 19, 2026 — the first in North America since 1994 — involves 48 teams playing 104 matches on open-air grass pitches and in domed stadiums alike.

Brazil won the ’94 cup played at nine U.S. venues, including the Pontiac Silverdome. The closest location in 2026 is Toronto.

Researchers have been developing innovative sod systems for the range of climates from Vancouver south to Mexico City, whose high altitude moderates summer temperatures to the high-70s.

Last summer, Guevara and two other MSU Turfgrass graduate students under the direction of Dr. Trey Rogers presented their work on the development of a shallow turfgrass profile – a temporary natural field system – at the International Sports Engineering Association conference in the United Kingdom.

Researchers explored methods for growing sod on plastic and a hybrid natural grass and synthetic turf system, which can be rolled up and moved for use in different locations. 

Rigorous testing is being conducted to insure that the developed sod systems provide consistent and comparable performance for players and balls.

“We’re dealing with 16 stadiums, each with its own unique challenges. The variety of demands and the need for uniformity and consistency make this project both interesting and challenging,” Guevara said.

Five stadiums are domed, with artificial turf fields over a hard, impermeable surface.

“FIFA mandated that all games be played on natural turfgrass, so we needed to find a way to temporarily convert stadiums with artificial fields to meet that requirement.”

“For each of the 16 stadiums, there will be two training facilities and two fields, a base camp for each team and one base camp for the referees,” Guevara explained.

Tackling the question, “How can we grow sod faster?” they placed plastic overlaid with sandy soil, which allows sod to reach two inches in thickness as the intertwining roots develop a tight mat of rhizomes to firm up the surface for a sturdy base.

They employ specialized equipment, such as a sod stitching machine.

Different types of turf grass thrive in hot, humid, climates or in less intense northern summer weather.

“Out of the 104 games, 39 will be in domed stadiums,” Guevara said.

MSU also parked its Mobile Food Processing Lab beside the SMC Student Activities Center, mirroring what students see in the industry once they graduate with a two-year food technology and safety certificate or a food science baccalaureate degree.

Food science applies chemistry, microbiology, food engineering and nutrition to develop new food products and to improve food safety and quality.

The semi trailer toured by Cassopolis FFA students contains canning equipment and a pressure cooker.

Retort food processing is a thermal technique used to preserve food by heating sealed containers to high temperatures, achieving commercial sterility and extending shelf life. This process eliminates harmful microorganisms.

MSU has its own on-campus fruit and vegetable plant in East Lansing.

Beneath the floor are three freshwater tanks holding about 500 gallons if the mobile lab needs to “go off the grid” at a farm.

SMC offers agricultural operations in partnership with MSU’s Institute of Agricultural Technology, coordinated on the Dowagiac campus by Dr. Thomas O. Green.