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The quality of the turf at State Farm Stadium was a hot topic of discussion during the Super Bowl in 2023, and that issue has already managed to rear its head close to a week before The Big Game kicks off thanks to what the 49ers encountered after arriving in Las Vegas.
The Kansas City Chiefs are considered the home team heading into Super Bowl LVIII, which means they’ll be able to take advantage of the practice facilities in Las Vegas that are usually reserved for the Raiders.
The San Francisco 49ers, on the other hand, had to figure out an alternative before arriving in Sin City and found one courtesy of UNLV, which gave the team the green light to gear up for the contest on the field where the Rebels normally prepare.
However, it appears those accommodations leave a bit to be desired.
According to CBS Sports, the 49ers sent some staffers to Las Vegas last week to get their first look at the accommodations awaiting them at UNLV’s Fertitta Football Complex. That facility boasts artificial turf, and while the NFL covered it with natural grass prior to the team’s arrival, there are apparently concerns it’s much softer than the playing surfaces San Francisco is accustomed to.
On Monday, Adam Schefter shed some more light on the issue during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show where he said the complaints stemmed in part from “seams on the practice field” as well as a noticeable softness that he described as a “sponge surface.”
The NFL uses what is known as the “Clegg test” to evaluate the condition of turf before games (a higher score means a firmer field); CBS Sports says the one at UNLV received a score of 50, while the 49ers apparently prefer one that comes in closer to 70.
As of this writing, it’s unclear how San Francisco plans to handle the matter. Schefter notes the NFL may allow them to share the field the Chiefs are using (a solution that would come with its fair share of logistical headaches), and they could also get new turf installed at UNLV in the hopes the new surface adequately addresses their concerns.
It’s hard to imagine this will have that much of an impact on San Francisco’s preparations, and here’s to hoping this is the only turf-related controversy we’re going to have to deal with this week.