The San Francisco 49ers practice facility is safe for players. But new CEO Al Guido wants to make sure that the perception matches the reality for free agents and potential future 49ers players.
Guido spoke about trying to give the Niners “the best hand” for potential success, particularly since they still haven’t won the Super Bowl since 1996.
Guido has been in the Niners organization for more than a decade but was elevated to CEO in February. He previously was the team president.
The 49ers have practiced in Santa Clara for three decades, but controversy about the physical location only cropped up in the past year.
A conspiracy rose up that the team was sustaining more injuries due to an adjacent electrical substation, which rival tight end Trey McBride said may keep free agents from signing with the 49ers.
Al Guido: The 49ers are Considering Moving Their Practice Facility
GettyFormer 49ers president Al Guido was promoted to CEO in February.
Many will speculate the electrical substation theory is at the core of the Niners’ potential facility move. But Guido told Vic Tafur of The Athletic that the team is running out of space around Levi’s Stadium.
“Everything is geared to winning the Super Bowl,” Guido told The Athletic. “We have been to three in the last 30 years and not won any. That’s the appetite with everyone here, and this is the right time to do it. In talking to our fans, I think they feel that, too.”
Guido told the news outlet that he deems the 49ers “the globe’s team,” due to its huge swath of international fans. As such, he, owner Jed York and general manager John Lynch are in an advantageous position to put the 49ers in a position to succeed.
“We can spend as much money as we want on coaches and on support staff for our players,” Guido said. “You want to give yourself the best hand.”
The 49ers Have Upgraded Levi’s Stadium due to the Super Bowl, World Cup
GettyLevi’s Stadium is being referenced as San Francisco Bay Area Stadium for the World Cup.
Levi’s Stadium has hosted two of the biggest events on Earth over the past five months, and stadium attendees may have noticed a different inside as a result.
“The video boards are brand new, all the lighting fixtures are brand new,” Guido said. “We had to redo some of the club spaces and suites.”
The 49ers moved south to Santa Clara on a full-time basis after the 2013 NFL season. The stadium has already hosted two Super Bowls, the College Football National Championship Game, WrestleMania, an outdoor NHL game and now the World Cup, with six games slated there.
“I can’t believe the building’s 12 years old; that’s kind of nutty to think about,” Guido said. “Think about having a TV for 12 years. … It’s pretty crazy in this day and age, right?
“The technology changes so much. We opened up the building as the most technological building in 2014, and it was probably the most out of date by the time we got to doing all these changes last year.”
The stadium upgrades will help the 49ers competitive and up to their golden standard as a five-time Super Bowl champion.
“There was a standard here that was set, and we’ve got to get back to it,” Guido said. “Now, different days and salary cap versus no salary cap. But to me, when you represent a brand like this, it’s pretty hard to say that there’s a better league and a better franchise.”
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