San Francisco 49ers president Al Guido joined KNBR on Wednesday and shared some of the changes that fans will notice at Levi's Stadium in 2017. The 49ers organization has made it a point to connect the team to its rich history during the offseason. Levi's Stadium had been criticized by fans for its separation from the team's past. The team has a museum embedded within it, but outside of that, fans felt the stadium looked modern but lacked any remembrance of the glory years. The 49ers are looking to change that this year.
In May, Guido and the 49ers organization announced that Levi's Stadium would receive a facelift. Returning will be the Ring of Honor that once decorated Candlestick Park in addition to banners hanging in the concourse areas that honor the team's five Super Bowl championships and legendary players.
"There's a lot of new signage going up in the building," said Guido on KNBR. "I think you'll see what our fans were looking for is a little bit more nod to our history, our Super Bowl trophies, our Ring of Honor. As fans come into the building tonight (for a scheduled soccer game), you'll notice some of the signs are starting to be put up. So we've made some subtle changes in and around the venue. We've done some stuff on the food and beverage side, bringing Off The Grid (food truck) down for some of our tailgate options.
"There's not massive changes this year but I think what our fans will love the best is seeing more red and gold in the building and honoring our past. And then, we talked a little bit about this, but we got some really cool plans – I don't want to announce them just yet – around Dwight Clark and the Cowboys game and supporting, obviously, his mission and fight."
In March, Clark announced that he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). "While I'm still trying to wrap my head around the challenge I will face with this disease over the coming years, the only thing I know is that I'm going to fight like hell and live every day to the fullest," Clark said via a statement.
"I'm really excited about kicking off the season," Guido continued. "Our players are really excited. The regime down here is fired up to finally get started. There's been a lot of talk but we can't wait to see these guys on the field and I think our fans are following us and resonating with the message."
You can listen to the entire interview on KNBR.
