PHOTO: Levi's Stadium crew removes turf entirely due to safety concerns
The San Francisco 49ers host the San Diego Chargers in a preseason tilt Sunday, but the playing surface may look quite different by then.
That's because the grounds crew at Levi's Stadium is working quickly to remove the turf in its entirety Thursday.
Going, going, gone! Entire field turf removed from #LevisStadium Team not saying what they're doing. From Sky7HD. pic.twitter.com/UtGiSs6ZUC
— David Louie (@abc7david) August 21, 2014
The new facility cost the team about $1.2 billion. Only one NFL game (a 34-0 win by the Denver Broncos over the 49ers) has been played there.
Head coach Jim Harbaugh pulled the team off the field on Wednesday after several players slipped on the turf.
The team issued a statement Wednesday night:
"The 49ers organization would like to apologize to any fans who were inconvenienced by today's practice ending early. We have determined the appropriate measures necessary to have the field ready for Sunday and look forward to hosting the San Diego Chargers."
Back in April, the installer reassured the public about the new playing surface, saying: “It’s exceptionally wear-resistant and quick to recover. Divots should be almost nonexistent in this stadium."