The San Francisco 49ers will begin the celebration of its 70th anniversary by returning to its roots at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco on Wednesday, August 10th, for a team practice and youth football exhibition. The team's first practice at Kezar Stadium since 2004 will be a signature event of this year's 49ers Training Camp presented by SAP. All 49ers players report to camp on Saturday, July 30th and take the field for the team's first practice on Sunday, July 31st in Santa Clara.
In what the 49ers hope will become an annual event, the full squad will practice from 11:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. on the field of their former home located in San Francisco's beautiful Golden Gate Park. The team is also planning a variety of other activations at Kezar Stadium that day to help members of the Faithful celebrate the start of a historic season of 49ers football. The festivities will include a youth football exhibition on the playing field following the team's practice.
As the San Francisco 49ers move into their new home in Santa Clara, let's look at their first stadium, where they started playing in 1946.
"As we laid out our plans to celebrate 70 storied years of 49ers football, the idea of bringing the team back to its original home for a practice session in front of our great fans in the heart of San Francisco was the idea we found most exciting," said 49ers President Al Guido. "Returning to the team's roots at Kezar will make for a special day not only for our fans, but also the team."
The return of the 49ers to Kezar Stadium is being orchestrated in collaboration with the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department and the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce. The SF Chamber, with more than 2,500 members, is the only organization that champions all business – both on and off the field.
"We are thrilled to help bring our legendary San Francisco team back to the city to celebrate their future at the place where it all began," said Lee Blitch, president and ceo of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce.
"From the Million Dollar Backfield to the Alley-Oop, Kezar Stadium was the site of some of the most prolific football in NFL history," said Phil Ginsburg, general manager of the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department. "We take great pride in knowing the 49ers got their start right here in Golden Gate Park and are delighted they're returning to inspire a new generation of fans."
Open to all ages, the free-ticketed practice will provide the 49ers Faithful with an early opportunity to see the 2016 team in action. Levi's® Stadium SBL Members will be notified about ticket availability on Thursday, July 7th via email. Tickets will be made available to the general public on Thursday, July 14th at 10 a.m. PT by way of the online ticket request form found at the following link: 49ers.com/trainingcamp. Registration for SBL Members and the general public for their respective ticket allotments will close on Wednesday, July 20th, at 10 a.m. PT.
Fans can enter an online random drawing for an opportunity to receive free tickets to attend the 49ers practice at Kezar Stadium. Maximum ticket requests per individual will apply. Due to attendance being limited to approximately 9,000 fans and high demand, the online drawing will be the only way to secure tickets for the training camp practice. Tickets printed at home or those downloaded to a handheld device must be presented at the Kezar Stadium gates in order to gain access.
Randomly selected individuals will be notified by Friday, July 22th, of their opportunity to claim tickets for the event.
Overall the Kezar Stadium event will run from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. In addition to the practice and youth football exhibition, a number of 49ers alumni will be hosting autograph sessions at various locations throughout Kezar Stadium. Fans will be able to enjoy the entertainment of the Gold Rush presented by Bud Light, Sourdough Sam, and Niner Noise, as well as photo opportunities, a DJ, and a variety of team partner activation areas.
