Roger Goodell addresses report that 49ers are unhappy with Super Bowl practice field
For the second straight year, there are concerns about a playing field at the Super Bowl.
Chiefs and Eagles players slipped on the grass at State Farm Stadium last February, and some Philly players said it put them at a disadvantage in Super Bowl LVII.
This time around, it’s a practice field that is in the spotlight.
ESPN reported Monday the San Francisco 49ers were unhappy about the field at the UNLV practice facility the team is using ahead of Super Bowl LVIII against the Chiefs.
The NFL put a sod field on top of the UNLV field turf last week, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported. Schefter’s story noted the NFL determines a “hardness score” for playing fields, and none ever has been less than a 70. But the 49ers field is considered in the 50s, ESPN reported.
During his annual Super Bowl news conference, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell downplayed the 49ers’ concerns and said the league has had two dozen people check on the practice field.
“Listen, that work is being done every single day,” Goodell said. “We’ve had 23 experts out there. We’ve had the union out there. All of them think that’s a very playable surface. It’s softer than what they have practiced on, but that happens. It’s well within all of our testing standards. It is something that we think all our experts, as well as neutral field inspectors, have all said unanimously that it’s a playable field.”
Because an AFC team is the Super Bowl host, the AFC champion Chiefs have been practicing at the Raiders’ facility in Henderson, Nevada.
A CBS Sports story said San Francisco had looked into using the Raiders’ facility, too.
“There have been discussions about the 49ers adjusting their schedule that would allow for them to practice at the Raiders’ facilities when the Chiefs aren’t there,” CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones wrote. “But sources also indicated that, before the 49ers ever step on the field, the likely scenario is that San Francisco remains at UNLV.”
This story was originally published February 6, 2024 at 8:56 AM.
