Santa Clara is getting a head start on Super Bowl week on Sunday, Feb. 1, as the 49ers Foundation and partners throw a community celebration at Buchser Middle School's Townsend Field. The party starts at 1 p.m. and doubles as a first look at the planned field upgrades, with cameos from the Gold Rush cheerleaders, the Niner Noise drumline, and Sourdough Sam, plus photo ops with Super Bowl trophies and the official Super Bowl LX logo.
What the upgrade includes
The overhaul will replace the existing field and track with an enlarged natural-turf playing surface and a wider synthetic track, swap out all bleacher grandstands, demolish the concession building,s and upgrade the stadium lighting. A new restroom building is also part of the plan, according to the Santa Clara Unified School District.
The district approved the Townsend Field Improvement Project in October 2025 and, in November, authorized a design contract with Lionakis. As part of the planning process, the district also hosted community mural input meetings in December and January so neighbors could help shape how the site will look once the work is complete, the district reported.
Who’s footing the bill
The 49ers Foundation is picking up the tab for the primary scope of the project, a gift the team has described as its single-largest donation, as reported by KRON4.
The Foundation says it has invested more than $70 million back into Bay Area communities and is partnering with the Bay Area Host Committee and the district on broader "Sports for All" legacy work tied to Super Bowl week, according to the 49ers Foundation.
Timeline and community response
District staff and local reporting estimate that construction will kick off in spring 2026, with a target completion date in September 2026. That schedule would bring a newly refreshed field online in time for the fall season, according to Silicon Valley Voice.
49ers Foundation Executive Director Justin Prettyman has framed the project as a chance to "give back" that will provide "a safe and sustainable playing field for years to come," and local youth-league leaders say better restrooms and long-awaited ADA upgrades are badly needed, San José Spotlight reported.
At the kickoff
Sunday's celebration will feature community painting of a new unity mural and a first look at renderings for the future field. More team representatives and 49ers alumni are expected to be announced ahead of the event, according to KRON4.
Organizers say feedback from the earlier mural input sessions will influence the artwork that remains on site after construction starts. The event is also meant to shine a spotlight on the local youth programs that regularly rely on Townsend Field as their home turf.
