Miami Hurricanes’ practice field was ‘unsuitable’ for teams before Super Bowl, report says

Susan Miller Degnan
·2 min read

NFL Network/NFL.com national insider Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday evening through sources that the University of Miami’s practice field, being used this week by the San Francisco 49ers before Sunday’s Super Bowl, was previously deemed “unsuitable’’ and replaced.

“When the San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers visited [UM] ahead of the NFC Championship Game for a site visit,’’ the NFL.com story said, “there was one problem: Both potential Super Bowl LIV participants deemed the practice surface unsuitable, sources say.

“The field was deemed unsafe in accordance with NFL standards,’’ the report said, with NFL officials agreeing “with the initial sentiments” after testing.

The Miami Herald confirmed through a source that at least one of UM’s outdoor Greentree Practice Fields was replaced.

UM athletic director Blake James did not respond to a text asking for a comment regarding the report.

The story said UM at first did not want to replace the field because, according to sources, “Miami had taken a year to mold its own field and did not want it replaced.’’ It said other “potential locations,’’ including FIU and FAU, were two options.

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In an accompanying video explaining the situation, Rapoport said “[UM] said it took us a year to grow this field. We would not like for it to change at all.’’

The story said 49ers officials, along with Miami and the NFL “and other interested parties,” including “local officials,” eventually “struck a deal to replace the field under certain agreed-upon circumstances, meaning San Francisco didn’t need to relocated its entire operation elsewhere...

“At this point, local officials got involved and the resolution was reached: The field would be replaced and if The U didn’t like it later, they could have it replaced to their liking.’’

Rapoport said on the video that any field changes were “at the 49ers expense’’ and “in the end, a crisis averted.’’