Both the 49ers and the Green Bay Packers sent representatives to the University of Miami's facilities before the NFC Championship Game to investigate the field conditions. At that time, the school's practice field was deemed "unsafe" by both teams, as well as NFL officials.
The league informed the University of Miami that the field would need to be replaced, which the school did not want to do.
"From what I'm told, initially, the University of Miami said, 'It took us a year to grow this field. We would not like for it to change at all,'" said Rapoport.