Rain has NFL officials worried about field at Levi's Stadium for Super Bowl

Byby Janet O KGO logo
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Rain has NFL officials worried about field at Levi's Stadium for Super Bowl 50
NFL groundskeepers are already at work to prepare the field at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, the site of Super Bowl 50.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (KGO) -- NFL groundskeepers are already at work to prepare the field at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, the site of Super Bowl 50.

More than a dozen truckloads of new grass arrived at the stadium on Monday, and workers got to work to start laying it out to be watered.

But it's not the sod they worried about as much as the expected rain.

NFL Field Director, Ed Mangan, says they expect the field to be completed by Tuesday, but the El Nino driven storms remain a threat.

"Removing this field, which we did most of in the rain, and trying to laser grade it in the rain, has affected us, but we are on schedule," explained Mangan.

Mangan says on top of keeping track of the weather, they have back up sod and tarps to cover the field in case it gets too wet.

"We will deal with Mother Nature as she comes," he said.

As for the durability of the new sod, many question if it will hold up in the national spot light.

Last week, the sod was removed after the 49ers final home game against the Rams.

The team has replaced the sod several times, after players complained about poor footing, usually after concerts held there.

The sod is the hybrid Bermuda from West Coast Turf, which is the same California company the San Francisco 49ers use.

From players slipping on the turf during practice to game day issues, loose sod was very much apparent after Baltimore's kicker missed a crucial field goal.

But few think it'll get as bad as it did in the 1993 playoffs between the Washington Redskins and 49ers, when players were trudging through torn up sod that stuck to cleats and helmets at Candlestick Park.

Meanwhile, the NFL's head groundskeeper has begun work on the field at Levi's Stadium in preparation for Super Bowl 50.

The NFL usually installs new grass inside the Super Bowl venue anyway.

Get the latest on Super Bowl 50 by clicking here.

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