The glory days of Candlestick Park with its raucous crowds, championships, Hall of Fame players and legendary winds… all of that history seemed forgotten when the San Francisco 49ers traveled 39 miles south to Santa Clara, California and moved into their new home at Levi’s Stadium to start the 2014 season.
The crowd in Santa Clara was quite lively inaugurating Levi’s Stadium in 2014, with the previous 3 seasons (2011-2013) all producing NFC Championship Game appearances, including 1 trip to the Super Bowl in which they lost to the Baltimore Ravens 34-31 (2012). The long wait for their new home, recent success, and talented roster had The Faithful believing their team could coronate their new home with the Lombardi Trophy.
The excitement of that inaugural season in 2014 wore off quickly as the team’s .500 record was a disappointing way to open their new home. Things just got tougher in subsequent years with multiple coaching changes, front office turmoil and a fan base that didn’t seem very Faithful at all. Visiting team’s fans would purchase tickets for pennies on the dollar and flood Levi’s Stadium with hostile colors, many times outnumbering the few Faithful who decided to attend.
Following 8-8, 5-11, 2-14, 6-10 and 4-12 seasons respectively from 2014-2018, which marked 3rd, 4th, 4th, 4th and 3rd place division finishes, the San Francisco 49ers returned to their success from earlier in the decade in 2019 with a 13-3 record winning the NFC West, the NFC #1 seed, and both their playoff games at home (NFC Divisional game and NFC Championship Game) to secure themselves a return to the Super Bowl. Levi’s Stadium came of age in 2019 after 5 years of growing pains both on the field and off for the franchise.
Levi’s Stadium grew up in 2019 with an optimistic fan base who although fair weather at times, still had faith and believed their team could return to its former glory under a new front office, a revamped defense and a running game second to none featuring a committee of backs for every kind of situation opposing defenses could throw at it. The Faithful returned to their seats and painted them red and gold in what was to be Levi’s Stadium’s best year on record.
The atmosphere in Green Lot 1 and Blue Lot 1 pregame during tailgates was electric. Grills were smoking, the smell of good eats was everywhere, music was playing loudly, and the camaraderie amongst fans was full of energy. The pregame migration of fans from tailgates to the stadium gates was charged with excitement and anticipation of what was to come next, an exhilarating experience starting with the home opener and finishing with an NFC Championship Game victory sending the 49ers and The Faithful to Miami, Florida for Super Bowl LIV.