The field at Detroit’s Ford Field is only 10 years old, but it’s getting an upgrade.

Ford Field officials announced Tuesday that the field is being replaced immediately with FieldTurf Classic HD, which is billed as stronger and softer, according to MichiganLive.com.

“Over the past 11 seasons, FieldTurf has provided us with a reliable and player-friendly surface to prepare and play,” said Detroit Lions Team President Tom Lewand. “We’re very excited to have FieldTurf upgrade their original surface at Ford Field and look forward to having one of the best and most durable NFL playing fields for years to come.”

The Lions are one of seven NFL teams that use FieldTurf, which is a synthetic grass. Overall, 22 of 32 teams use some sort of artificial turf, according to Detroit.CBS.com.

FieldTurf emerged as the leader among all artificial turf brands for the 10th consecutive year in the 2010 National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) Playing Surfaces Opinion Survey ? a survey conducted by the NFLPA ranking the league’s 31 stadium fields. Three out of the league’s top four artificial surfaces were FieldTurf fields.

– Bill Bradley, contributing editor