Since Super Bowl LX is set to be played at Levi’s Stadium, the presumption was that the two finalists would base their preparations at the nearby San Francisco 49ers’ training facility. Turns out, that won’t be the case.
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According to veteran NFL analyst Chase Senior, the Patriots are set to hold their Super Bowl practice sessions at Stanford University, while the Seahawks will prepare at San Jose State. Neither team will be using the 49ers’ practice facility in Santa Clara, despite staying in the Bay Area for the week leading up to kickoff.
Yes, the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks have deliberately chosen to practice elsewhere. Their decision has gotten people talking, given the narratives surrounding the injury-ridden 49ers season.
The Niners’ training facility has come under scrutiny in the past few months due to an intriguing theory. It centers around an electrical substation adjacent to the 49ers’ training complex and Levi’s Stadium. Known online as the ‘substation theory,’ it suggests prolonged exposure to electromotive force (EMF) could be contributing to the team’s long-standing injury problems.
The Patriots will be practicing at Stanford.
The Seahawks will be practicing at San Jose State.
Neither team will be practicing at the 49ers practice facility.
This setup allows each team to have dedicated practice space while staying in the area, but it is pretty hilarious…
— Chase Senior (@Chase_Senior) January 26, 2026
On the surface, the setup is practical as both teams get their own private space, minimal logistical overlap, and tighter security. But the timing makes it hard not to connect it with the ‘substation theory’ surrounding the 49ers. While the idea originated on social media and has been widely dismissed by medical professionals as unscientific, it has become serious enough that the 49ers themselves are looking into it.
San Francisco General Manager John Lynch confirmed the organization is examining “everything,” including the substation theory. “Because it deals with allegedly the health and safety of our players, I think you have to look into everything,” he had said.
“We’ve been reaching out to anyone and everyone to see… Does a study exist other than a guy sticking an apparatus underneath the fence and coming up with a number that I have no idea what that means? That’s what we know exists. We’ve heard that debunked,” Lynch added.
The investigation comes after a brutal year in which the 49ers lost stars like Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, and George Kittle to season-ending injuries. They also led the league in adjusted salary-cap value lost to injured reserve. So, when the two Super Bowl teams chose not to practice anywhere near the 49ers’ facility, it is natural to connect the dots, though one has yet to do it publicly.
However, it’s important to look at the decision of the two teams objectively. The Patriots’ and Seahawks’ decisions are not unprecedented, nor are they necessarily linked to San Francisco’s ongoing issues. In fact, the NFL has seen this exact blueprint being followed before.
When Super Bowl 50 was played at Levi’s Stadium in 2016, neither team practiced at the 49ers’ facility either. The Denver Broncos trained at Stanford, while the Carolina Panthers used San Jose State. So the same arrangement is being repeated this year for the same practical reasons.
So, this year’s setup aligns more with league tradition than any other concern. Still, the timing and narrative remain hard to ignore, especially with a 49ers top official like Lynch placing enough substance on the ‘substation theory’ to investigate it.
