The Baltimore Ravens annually play one game at Paycor Stadium, the home of AFC North rival Cincinnati Bengals. When they visit next season, the playing surface is set to undergo a change. Paycor Stadium managing director Steve Johnson, in a statement released by the team, emphasized the commitment of Hamilton County and the Bengals to providing a top-level playing surface for NFL games. The new field is scheduled to be installed in time for the entire 2024 NFL season.
Since its opening in 2000, Paycor Stadium has seen various changes to its playing surface. It initially had natural grass, then switched to the older version of FieldTurf from 2004-2011. In 2012, the team opted for Act Global synthetic turf, which was replaced with Shaw Sports Momentum Pro synthetic turf in 2018. Starting from the upcoming season, the stadium will transition to the latest version of FieldTurf.
This move aligns the Bengals with other NFL teams opting for FieldTurf, as it is considered a cutting-edge playing surface. Notably, Cincinnati, along with Minnesota and Indianapolis, were among the few teams still using slit film turf, which is considered less safe for players. With this transition, all three teams will join others like the Falcons, Panthers, Lions, Patriots, Seahawks, and Giants/Jets, who have also adopted FieldTurf for the 2024 season.