In leading up to Super Bowl 50 on February 7, 2016, the football world will descend upon the San Francisco 49ers’ Levi Stadium. In particular, the media will descend upon the Santa Clara Youth Soccer Park, which is directly adjacent to the stadium and boasts world-class grass conditions.
The media plans to form a “media village” on the youth league’s three fields, and alterations are already underway as of this past Monday, January 4. Soccer moms and dads are not happy, and parents and coaches of the youth players sued the NFL. The plaintiffs claim the contract between the city and the NFL is illegal.
On Tuesday, January 5, the plaintiffs filed a motion for a temporary restraining order. The judge, however, denied the motion. Temporary restraining orders are difficult to obtain; the standards are high because the defendant does not typically have a chance to be heard. Nevertheless, the soccer plaintiffs will have another chance to obtain an injunction through the preliminary injunction hearing, which is scheduled for Monday, January 11. The defendants will be present at the hearing, and the standards will be lighter on the plaintiffs. Preliminary injunction motions do remain difficult to win, however, and the plaintiffs may still lose their soccer fields for the time being.