The San Francisco 49ers are going to enforce a new parking lot policy called “Directed Parking,” which is similar to assigned seats. But longtime season ticket holders say it’s going to destroy the team’s famed tailgate scene.
Your San Francisco 49ers will begin their season one week from tonight, with a Monday Night Football home opener against the New York Jets. But the stadium scene may be a little more calm than previous years, especially during the pre-game. KGO reports that the 49ers organization is severely scaling back the number of tailgate passes allowing fans to barbecue and party in the parking lot before the game, and season ticket holders are up in arms.
Thank you @49ers for raising our prices
— NINERS1 (@rickyhelton1) August 28, 2024
Giving the best parking spots to your corporate buds
And taking away my early tailgater even though I’ve never been in any trouble my entire time @LevisStadium
Oh well I guess the front office
Doesn’t care about fans pic.twitter.com/TOADyl7ESy
Fans have already responded to the changes with an online petition. “Every year new rules are being enforced by parking lot attendants with no information to the fanbase,” the petition complains. “We are being told that this year we can’t even park with our party.”
"All we want to do is feel somewhat appreciated," one frustrated 49ers season ticket holder said as fans claim the team is making it tougher to tailgate while raising ticket prices. Another said, "Just leave us alone." https://t.co/wcObf2H3YZ
— ABC7 News (@abc7newsbayarea) September 3, 2024
Per KGO, the new changes contain a “no loud music” policy (which would seem difficult to enforce?). That station also explains there’s a new policy called Directed Parking, which they call “a parking process similar to what you'd see at a theme park with vehicles being waved in.” And longtime tailgating fans say that most of them are not getting the "Early Entry Tailgater" passes they’d previously been given for years and years in a row.
For the first time in 15 years I won’t be able to tailgate early for@49ers
— Scotty Fox (@DJScottyFox) August 30, 2024
It’s been such a privilege and such a part of my fan experience to be there early with my son and friends. We built a small culture around it
And they just took it away. No reason. Heartbroken. 💔 pic.twitter.com/93q1ucCTRS
"They've cut back on the early tailgates placards,” yearslong season ticket holder Carla Sosa told KGO. “I know half of the people in [the Niner Empire] group who got the early tailgate did not receive it this year.”
While many angry fans were quoted by KGO, the 49ers organization themselves declined to comment to that station. Fans are hoping that team executives will meet with the tailgaters to hammer out some sort of compromise, but just seven days from the home opener, it does not seem this issue will be resolved in time for next week’s game.
Related: Sunday’s 49ers Traffic In Santa Clara ‘Worse Than Any Time In Levi’s History’ [SFist]
Image: SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 19: San Francisco 49ers fans tailgate outside of the stadium prior to the NFC Championship game at Levi's Stadium on January 19, 2020 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
