Why the New Lucas Oil Turf Could Slow Down This Year’s 40-Yard Dash Times

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I came across an interesting tweet today from EJ Snyder, who posted a picture of the turf pellets at Lucas Oil Stadium. Something stood out immediately—they weren’t black like the traditional rubber infill we’ve seen for years. Instead, they were tan, resembling dirt more than the usual synthetic turf pellets.

That got me thinking: what’s changed with the surface at Lucas Oil? And could it impact the upcoming NFL Combine?

I did some digging…

I called Matrix Turf, the company responsible for installing the new field in Indianapolis, and spoke with someone in their sales department. What they told me confirmed my suspicions—this is a slower-playing surface, designed to mimic outdoor grass more than traditional artificial turf.

The Science Behind the Slower Surface

The key to this change lies in the infill material. The old turf at Lucas Oil used a rubber-based infill, the same kind that has been known to produce fast track-like conditions on artificial fields. The new system, however, features Geo CoolFill Plus, an organic infill made from coconut husk and cork. This dirt-colored infill behaves much more like real soil and needs periodic watering to maintain its properties.

Unlike rubber, which provides more rebound and a firmer, springier base, Geo CoolFill compresses under footstrike, creating a surface that absorbs more energy and slows acceleration. The company rep explained that this system was built for outdoor teams like the Titans, who also made a switch to a more natural-feeling turf. Lucas Oil, despite being an indoor stadium, opted for a similar setup focused on player safety and stability rather than outright speed.

Bigger Picture: Why the Change?

The shift away from rubber infill to Geo CoolFill is part of a broader movement in football turf technology. Many teams are prioritizing player safety and a more natural feel, rather than creating a pure speed-friendly surface. Unlike traditional FieldTurf, which can feel rigid and unforgiving, this new Lucas Oil surface is designed to mimic real grass, offering better shock absorption, traction, and stability. The trade-off is that it’s a bit slower.

How This Affects the NFL Combine

The Combine is famous for its 40-yard dash times, with players often seeing a slight speed boost due to the fast turf at Lucas Oil. But I reached out to Arif Hasan, who has studied past Combine conditions, and he pointed out something significant: the old field, with its black rubber infill, played extremely fast. In fact, the slicker surface was leading to a noticeable spike in 40 times (especially in 2022), making Lucas Oil one of the most speed-friendly venues in football.

With this new, slower turf, we could see a drop in elite 40 times this year. Only two players are currently projected to run sub-4.3 in the 40 (Isaiah Bond and Arian Smith) as is, and now they’ll be running on a field that isn’t built for top-end track speed anymore.

Final Thoughts

The Combine is known for producing eye-popping speed numbers recently, but this year’s event could look a little different. The shift to a more grass-like surface means that those expecting record-breaking 40-yard dash times may need to temper expectations.

Currently at DraftKings, the over under for the fastest 40 yard dash time is 4.255 seconds. Slower than 4.255 seconds is available at (-115).