The NFL’s Miami Dolphins are adding a canopy to their stadium, part of a $400 million renovation, leaving fans of a franchise on the opposite side of the country feeling envious.
Levi’s Stadium opened prior to the 2014 season, and it has a number of laudable features: 68,500 seats, solid Wifi connectivity and a view of the surrounding Silicon Valley area.
But according to fans, the $1.3 billion stadium lacks one basic element: shade.
From AB: Video: Stunning Levi's Stadium Time-Lapse
Most of those 68,500 seats are exposed to the baking sun during the day, and the location in Santa Clara, about 39 miles south of San Francisco, doesn’t help. Temperatures are typically warmer in Santa Clara.
A 49ers beat writer tweeted out an image of what the canopy at the new Dolphins stadium will look like, and Niners fans on Twitter took notice.
Shade being added to an NFL stadium in Miami: pic.twitter.com/QEMxvBYBzj
— Chris Biderman (@ChrisBiderman) July 20, 2016
49ers, take notes. https://t.co/1U85dFLmjZ
— Damon Bruce (@DamonBruce) July 20, 2016
Following the 49ers first preseason game in the new stadium, the San Jose Mercury News recounted fans' complaints about the unbearable heat:
“Though the temperature was just above 80 degrees in Santa Clara, it felt several degrees hotter in the crowded stands Sunday. Fire Department and team officials said the heat accounted for most of the 60 emergency calls at the stadium, an unusually high number for a 49ers game, and two people were taken to the emergency room.”The Dolphins meanwhile, continue their renovations -- team officials say the stadium will be ready by the August 25 preseason opener.
