Levi's Stadium Delivers on the Super Bowl 50 Hype

The problems that have plagued Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara took a break -- for the most part -- on Super Bowl Sunday, as the Denver Broncos beat the Carolina Panthers 24-10.

For the 71,088 fans who paid record prices to attend the game, Super Bowl 50 lived up to the hype. Instead of leaving the stadium early like 49ers fans often do, the crowd stayed in place the entire game.

It was the sixth Super Bowl for Michael and Ruby Scott, who live near Houston. Levi's and the game managed to wow them, even though their team -- the Panthers -- lost.

Ruby Scott said the bonus was a seat at Levi's with a view that she believes many Californians take for granted.

"I loved it. I had a seat where I could see the mountains like straight ahead," she said.

The Scotts took light rail in and out of the stadium from San Jose. Michael Scott said at past Super Bowls they’ve experienced major mass transit delays, but not this time.

"The transportation was planned very well in terms of getting train tickets that get you directly to the stadium. We had no problems at all," said Michael Scott.

Valley Transportation Authority and Caltrain both reported trains were packed, but all went smoothly.

The same couldn't be said for the stadium’s ongoing problems with the turf. Levi's has replaced the sod several times during the last two years, and the NFL replaced the sod once again in January, but that apparently didn't solve the issue. Some players switched cleats during the game and complained afterward about the condition of the field.

"The footing on the field was terrible," Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib told ESPN. "San Fran has to play eight games on that field, so they better do something to get it fixed. It was terrible."

Workers scrambled to pick up the divots before the halftime show.

"A whole crew came out on the field and walked the field, picking up divots. That was amazing.  I've never seen that before," said Kathy Collins, a Panthers fan from Greenville, North Carolina.

Her husband, Bart Collins, was giving the situation the benefit of the doubt.

"I've been to the Masters Golf Tournament before and they manicure the course very well, and I thought they were just cleaning it up for the television. Maybe that's what it was" said Collins. "But it jinxed our cleats. The Panthers did not play to their potential. Maybe they were nervous, who knows."

Most of the fans we talked to said the game lived up to its advance billing as the biggest and best ever.

"Everything from the game to the stadium to the entertainment," said Inez Eicher, from Columbus, Ohio. "At halftime, they didn't hold back on anything, and I liked the three acts of Coldplay, Beyoncé and Bruno Mars. They really did a great job working together. It was fun. It was really fun."