When Miami was awarded the Super Bowl, it was determined that the AFC team would practice at the Dolphins’ facility the week before the game, while the NFC team would practice at the University of Miami Hurricanes’ facility. But those plans nearly fell apart.
The problem, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, was that representatives of both the 49ers and Packers visited the Hurricanes’ facility before the NFC Championship Game, and both teams felt that the practice field wasn’t good enough.
However, after negotiations involving the 49ers, the NFL, the University of Miami and what Rapoport referred to as “other interested parties,” an agreement was struck to install a new practice field. That’s the field the 49ers will practice on this week.
The 49ers are footing the bill for the new field, but Rapoport reports that the Hurricanes had their own practice field just the way they wanted it, and may replace the field before the university practices there again. Which means the field may be used only this week by the 49ers, and then never again.