Tri County News

State Rep. Rodney Creech (R-West Alexandria) held a press conference today in Columbus to discuss House Bill 605, a bipartisan initiative aimed at protecting professional athletes by mandating the use of natural grass fields in professional sports stadiums. State Rep. Terrance Upchurch (D-Cleveland) and Andrew Morris, Public Policy Counsel for the NFL Players Association, also participated.

The proposed legislation requires that professional stadiums maintain fields with at least 90% natural grass, adhering to industry standards for high-performance field surfaces.

“Employees must have faith that their employer is providing conditions suitable to job success and their health and safety,” said Creech during the press conference. “This bill will not only support Ohio’s sports industry, but it will do just that: it will prioritize the safety of our professional athletes in their workplace.”

Andrew Morris expressed support for the bill on behalf of the NFL Players Association. “As leaders and advocates for player health and safety, we appreciate this bipartisan push to address an important issue for our members,” he said. “Our hope is that all in the Ohio legislature support this bill, which is in the best interests of all athletes. We commend Representatives Creech and Upchurch for their work.”

The bill responds to concerns over higher injury rates on turf fields compared to natural grass. Currently, 15 NFL stadiums use natural grass while another 15 utilize synthetic turf.

House Bill 605 is pending consideration by the House Economic and Workforce Development Committee.

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