Global Symposium on Racing Speaker: John Rogers
John “Trey” Rogers III has been a professor of turfgrass research in the Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences at Michigan State University’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources since 1988.
His current turfgrass research interests at MSU include performance turf renovations, turfgrass establishment and soil modification.
In 1994, he served as the lead scientist for the indoor turf project at the Pontiac Silverdome for the 1994 World Cup Soccer matches. Rogers and his team are credited for creating a novel system to make turfgrass portable, which has since become the industry standard.
He served as a turf consultant and project leader for the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympic Games and the 2008 Union of European Football Associations Cup.
In 2021, he agreed with FIFA to assist with research and implementation for the North America World Cup 2026. Rogers and his team identified the optimum turfgrass mixtures for the play fields and helped introduce sod-on-plastic internationally in preparation for the World Cup games in 2026.
His consultations on golf course, athletic field and turfgrass matters are extensive throughout the United States as well as in China, Greece, Japan, the Dominican Republic, Argentina, Brazil, Australia, Wales, England and Spain. He has given over 300 national and international lectures and presentations and has been published in over 250 publications in addition to having authored the book, “Lawn Geek: Tips and Tricks for the Ultimate Turf from the Guru of Grass.”
Rogers is the senior author of two U.S. patents: one for the creation and construction of the Silverdome West building and one for the use of crumb rubber made from finely chopped rubber tires as a top dressing over turfgrass for high-traffic areas on athletic fields and golf courses.
He was the project leader of the Spartan Stadium turfgrass conversion at MSU in 2001– 02.
Rogers is an active member of several national organizations, including the American Society of Agronomy and the Crop Science Society of America.
An Arkansas native, Rogers grew up working at Hardscrabble Country Club in Fort Smith, Arkansas.
He received a bachelor’s degree in agronomy from the University of Arkansas in 1982 and then returned to work as an assistant superintendent at Hardscrabble Country Club from 1982 to 1983. He then earned his master’s in agronomy from the University of Arkansas in 1985 and later received his doctorate in agronomy from the Pennsylvania State University in 1988.