49ers upset with condition of practice field in Las Vegas [report]

It's not very often you get to go to a Super Bowl. It's far less often that when you do go to that Super Bowl, your practice field — in the desert — has become a walking sponge.

That is the drama unfolding in Las Vegas, on a rainy Monday afternoon. The 49ers arrived Sunday night amidst turbulent weather, and according to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports , the team is dealing with a field at UNLV that they feel is not up to par.

Jones wrote the following:

"A 49ers advance group that includes members of the equipment staff and grounds team traveled to Las Vegas last week to check out the facilities at the Fertitta Football Complex. They feel the grass is too soft for the team to practice on, and the team has considered alternatives, sources say."

The grass field was sodded on top of UNLV's turf field, but with an unusual timeframe, according to Adam Schefter. Schefter reports that those practice surfaces are typically laid in December. The new UNLV surface started to be laid last week, per Schefter.

Jones' report states that the condition is "not a health-and-safety issue" and has passed safety tests, but is not as firm as the 49ers would like. A test to determine the firmness of a field — the "Clegg impact tester" — usually yields scores with an average of 78 on NFL fields, per Schefter. A score in the 70s, per Jones and Schefter is preferred by the 49ers. They both report that this field is yielding firmness scores in the 50s.

San Francisco can either decide to practice on the field, try to re-sod the field in the short timeframe, or try to work with the NFL to use the Raiders' practice facility, which is where the Chiefs are practicing. Because the Chiefs are considered the home team (it alternates each year), they were given those facilities.

For those wondering about UNLV's old haunt, Sam Boyd Stadium, it is currently "not operational" after UNLV moved its games to Allegiant Stadium.

In order for the 49ers to use the Raiders' facilities, it would require the league changing the practice schedule for the week. There would also be potential other logistical and security concerns to ensure there would be no overlap between teams or game plan information getting out.

Per Matt Barrows of The Athletic , the Chiefs have "been unwilling to change their schedule" to accommodate the 49ers, and the NFL has not forced them to change it.

San Francisco was slated to have a Monday afternoon walkthrough. It is yet unclear how that went, or if it went, given the reportedly dissatisfactory field condition and driving rain in Las Vegas.

More information will surely come out Monday night, when the Chiefs, then the 49ers, will address media in the opening night festivities at Allegiant Stadium. For now, it's clear the 49ers are unhappy with their practice field, and there has not been a satisfactory answer.