Unless the NFL compels the Kansas City Chiefs to share the Intermountain Health Performance Center in Henderson, Nevada, the San Francisco 49ers might have to settle for the UNLV field as their practice ground ahead of Super Bowl 58. Despite the league laying natural grass over UNLV's artificial turf, the 49ers remain dissatisfied with the assigned practice field.
The 49ers and Chiefs will face each other in Super Bowl 58 on Sunday, and as the designated home team, the Chiefs get to utilize the Raiders' facilities. The 49ers were reportedly so unsatisfied with their field conditions that, at one point, they even considered drastic measures.
Matt Barrows of The Athletic wrote, "The 49ers were so unhappy that they initially considered flying back from Las Vegas following Monday night's media event and practicing in Santa Clara before the game but have since backed off that plan, according to league sources."
Addressing the situation on Monday, Commissioner Roger Goodell maintained that the NFL has deemed the fields "playable" despite the 49ers' concerns.
Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports first reported that the 49ers found the UNLV field "a bit soft for their liking." Last week, the team sent equipment staff and grounds team members to Las Vegas to assess the conditions. The team held a walk-through on Monday afternoon at the facility.
"The 49ers deemed the fields suitable for Monday's walk-through but not a full practice," Barrows noted. "The 49ers are leaning toward practicing at UNLV on Wednesday, though a firm decision on the week has not been made."
The NFL doesn't consider this to be a safety issue, instead making it clear that the 49ers simply prefer different conditions.