John Trey Rogers, professor of turfgrass research at Michigan State University, has spent six years preparing the grass for the World Cup pitches, according to CNN.com. Rogers and his collaborators determined the best type, or combination, of three species of grass for each stadium, CNN.com reported. Five World Cup stadiums have domes, dramatically reducing the amount of sunlight available, CNN.com noted. Separately, the New York Times reported that John Sorochan, a turf scientist at the University of Tennessee, has led a yearslong, multimillion-dollar effort to develop playing fields for the 2026 World Cup. Accounts differ on whether Rogers and Sorochan are the same individual or are collaborating; no information confirms either connection. John Trey Rogers will be closely monitoring the pitch.