City of San Jose prepping for large crowds to descend on downtown for the College Football Playoff National Championship
SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- As San Jose gets ready to welcome nearly 100,000 college football fans, event organizers are working around the clock to put the finishing touches on venues across the city.
"We're going to show off this great city for all of our out-of-town fans, but truly make it special for you as a San Jose resident to see your city in a way that maybe you've never seen it before," said Ryan Allen Hall, director of community relations for the College Football Playoff.
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At Discovery Meadow, the stage has been constructed for AT&T Playoff Playlist Live, the free outdoor concert series starting Friday. Despite some rain in the forecast, officials say the concerts will go on as planned unless the weather becomes too severe.
Down the road at Plaza de Cesar Chavez, construction crews are working around the clock to finish the Quad, which will be the central gathering point for fans come championship weekend. Iconic holiday venues such as the Downtown Ice Rink have even received a makeover.
Nearby restaurants such as Original Joe's are also anticipating an extra boost in business, unlike what happened during Super Bowl 50 when the expected crowds didn't materialize.
"We've been around. We're the heart of Silicon Valley," said Chris Landon, Original Joe's head waiter. "It's just really cool to have all eyes on us in San Jose."
Across the street, The Tech Museum of Innovation will have more staff on hand to accommodate the larger than average crowds.
"Silicon Valley is brimming with optimism. We are brimming with optimism about the power of technology to do good in the world and we want to show that to people as they come here for this big event," said Tim Ritchie, The Tech's president and CEO.
Fan activities are centered in San Jose at the McEnery Convention Center, Plaza de Cesar Chavez, Discovery Meadow and SAP Center. The national championship game will take place on Monday, January 7th at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.
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