49ers' New Santa Clara Stadium Promises To Be NFL's Smartest

When the San Francisco 49ers' new stadium in Santa Clara opens up in 2014, the goal is not just to make it the best-looking and respected stadium in the NFL, but the smartest as well.

ESPN is reporting that the Santa Clara stadium that is expected to cost around $1.2 billion is going to be the most technologically savvy venue the sports world as ever seen.


49ers director of public relations, Bob Lange, told ESPN this:

“We’re not going to try to be the biggest and the baddest, but the smartest,” Lange said. “[We’re] planning to bring together the best of the Bay Area and Silicon Valley in the new stadium.”

“We are planning to be a stadium driven by software, not hardware,” Lange said. "The new Santa Clara stadium will not only incorporate the best hardware available but also have the ability to adapt to ever-changing technology. We look to provide our fans the opportunity to utilize their own personal devices to enhance their game-day experience. With new technology hitting the market frequently (iPads, smartphones), we want our tech infrastructure to be adaptable and our hardware to be scalable.” 

One topic Lange brought up in the interview was B.Y.O.D. (Bring Your Own Device).  Fans will be able to order food, drinks, etc. from their iPhone, iPad and any other smart device they wish to use, as long as they bring it to the game.

Of course, this is just touching the surface of this stadium's technological plan of attack, but we should be pleasantly surprised when the stadium finally opens up with all sorts of gadgets.