Touring Levi's Stadium

I wasn't the only person snapping photos of the players' elegant locker room (above). And what's a visit to the stadium without a photo op with the 49ers' Gold Rush Cheerleaders?

Every August, the Silicon Valley Leadership Group hosts a barbeque, and this year's took place at the new Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara. What a facility! No expense was spared. The luxury boxes are unbelievable, as are the locker rooms. There are enough solar panels to power a small city. The latest technology has been integrated into everything, too, including the fan experience. Ticket holders will download an app to enter the stadium, and the same app will enable them to watch instant replays on their smart phones. Fans can even order food and drinks from the app, and it'll be delivered right to them--no more missing the action. Wi-fi is everywhere, of course, as are iPhone charging stations.

I got a kick out of seeing it, and it was a bonus to run into Santa Cruz County Treasurer Fred Keeley and two alumni: California Secretary for Natural Resources John Laird, who'd spent all day on the phone securing support for the water bond proposal that will appear on the November ballot, and former mayor of San Jose Ron Gonzalez, a UCSC trustee who's the president of the Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley. A welcome reminder that there are Banana Slugs everywhere!

Comments or questions? Write to chancellor@ucsc.edu and put "Stadium" in the subject line