The San Francisco 49’ers inaugurate the new Levi’s Stadium Source: http://cbssanfran.files.wordpress.com
On October 21, 2013, the San Francisco 49ers’ bid to host the 50th edition of the Super Bowl succeeded. The event, scheduled for February 7, 2016, will be the first Super Bowl hosted in the San Francisco Bay Area since January 1985, and will take place in the all-new, all-green Levi’s Stadium.
A milestone in the history of Californian football, the Levi’s Stadium is California’s first new football stadium since 1967. After Kezar Stadium and Candlestick Park, the 49ers’ previous home-sites, Levi’s Stadium opens up a new chapter for the San Francisco 49ers. The $1.2 billion stadium is 1.85 million square feet and holds around 68,500 people. However, the new stadium is not only expansive, but also environmentally friendly; the three solar bridges connected to the parking area have hundreds of solar panels. The stadium also features a 27,000 square foot “Green Roof,” providing a cool sanctuary and an open environment to sit and enjoy football without the heat of Santa Clara.
The team’s museum and Levi Stadium’s Hall of Fame not only acknowledge and respect the amazing of feats of the 49ers’ successful past, but also foster the interest of future football stars by hosting interactive tours for all ages. According to Paraag Marathe, President of the 49ers, 25,000 kids have so far signed up to visit the museum. In the eyes of its creators, the Levi’s Stadium museum and Hall of Fame will not just be a place where the history of the 49ers comes to life, but it will also give life to football itself.
Levi’s Stadium opened on July 17, 2014. Its first game, surprisingly, wasn’t a football game. Instead, on August 2, 2014, this new stadium hosted a Major League Soccer Match between the San Jose Earthquakes and the Seattle Founders. And, for the next five years, the Earthquakes have agreed to play one match per year in this new stadium. In addition to Super Bowl 50, on March 29, 2015, Levi’s Stadium will host WWE‘s WrestleMania XXXI. This new stadium will also host the 2015 National Hockey League Stadium Series February 21 game between the Los Angeles Kings and the San Jose Sharks. According to Trent Baalke, general manager of the 49ers, “The history at Levi’s Stadium hasn’t started yet. I know our coaches are and I think everyone in the organization’s looking forward to what the future holds. This is our chance to make history.”