Sunday’s Week 4 matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos was one of the hottest games in Levi’s Stadium history, and it took a toll on players and fans alike.
Amidst an ongoing heat wave affecting the Bay Area, the temperature at the start of game was measured at 94 degrees. The National Weather Service has an active heat advisory for the San Francisco Bay Area that’s slated to last until Oct. 7 for interior portions of the region.
The Niners prepared some amenities for the expected high temperatures, including cups by water fountains so fans could bring the hydration to their seats, free sunscreen and additional shaded seating, according to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco. The players themselves had large fans and misters stationed behind their benches.
Linebacker Fred Warner was the first player to possibly show signs of the oppressive levels of Sunday’s heat. ESPN’s Nick Wagoner speculated that Wagner, who had been in the blue medical tent on the sideline multiple times throughout the first half, left for the locker room early to receive some sort of IV treatment to deal with the weather. Warner was later out with the team in the second half, which is more than what could have been said about the fans, who made the sunny side of Levi’s look emptier than it normally does at the start of the third quarter. Entire sections appeared barren as the second half kicked off.
Sunday was nearly two years to the day from the all-time heat record at Levi’s Stadium. That happened on Oct. 6, 2024, during a 24-23 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, when the temperature was 95 degrees at kickoff. The heat rose up to 100 degrees by the second quarter. Many fans spent most of the game in the shaded concourse area to escape the record-breaking temperatures.
Prior to that, however, the Levi’s all-time high was a lot milder at 87 degrees, which had happened twice before in 2017 (on Sept. 10 vs. the Panthers) and 2019 (Oct. 7 vs. the Browns).
Those in the South Bay will find some reprieve later in the day with the temperature expected to drop down to 66 degrees. But that will be in the evening, and sunset is scheduled for 6:46 p.m., well after the game is expected to end.