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49ers ponder Week 1 opener against Cardinals in an empty stadium

It’s official. Any buzz at Levi’s Stadium created by the excitement of the first week of the NFL season will have to be created by the 49ers without help from their fan base.

The news, announced by the 49ers Tuesday, wasn’t a surprise and did leave open the possibility of allowing fans at a later date.

But as for the regular season opener on Sept. 13, against the Arizona Cardinals, the 49ers will be on their own. While Levi’s Stadium was sparsely populated and relatively quiet during some lean years following the departure of coach Jim Harbaugh, it came to life last season as the 49ers won the NFC Championship under coach Kyle Shananan.