Growing the Rose Bowl: How the grass makes it from Thermal to Pasadena

THERMAL, Calif. (KESQ) - From growing and harvesting the grass into pristine condition to delivering the grass to the Rose Bowl, West Coast Turf has been the supplier for over 30 years.

"The guys from the Rose Bowl come out every once in a while, make sure that everything's going well, make sure it's grown to exactly their specifications," Director of Marketing Danielle Scardino said.

A pretty tough task, but West Coast Turf says they do sports fields better than anybody else. Take a look at this photo of the field before the grass is laid and check out the final product, homegrown grass where every inch of cut grass matters.

"We want everything to go perfect," Sales Manager of the West Coast Turf Tom Stafford said. "It's been a year, a little plus for growing it, so it's nice to see the finished product and how good it is when it shows up, and that their customer is happy with it."

The Rose Bowl is the biggest game of the year in college football, and the relationship between the venue and West Coast Turf began during another major sporting event.

"We did the Super Bowl for the Rose Bowl in the early 90s, and ever since then, they've been coming back to us, and they put their trust in us," Director of Marketing Danielle Scardino said. "We take a lot of pride that they keep on coming back to us year after year after year."

While the drive from the desert to Pasadena is long, West Coast Turf says the Coachella Valley offers the best conditions for creating the perfect product.

"The base here is a variety called Tahoma 31, and it's a warm season in Bermuda, so the summer is ideal for growing grass," Director of Marketing Danielle Scardino said. "We have the perfect location, and then in the winter months, they overseed it with their special blend, so it's the perfect place to grow it in the desert."

As players and coaches from both teams love the field, the preparation and transportation process comes with a harsh reality.

"You're only as good as your last job, your last project with them, and if you screw up one job, you're not coming back on the next one for the next year, so we got to be consistent and quality," Sales Manager of the West Coast Turf, Tom Stafford, said.

The Rose Bowl will host the College Football Playoff quarterfinal game between the No. 9 seed Alabama Crimson Tide and the No. 1 seed Indiana Hoosiers. Kick off is at 1 PM.