Teams express no worries about turf at Levi’s Stadium

More rain is in the forecast for Sunday and, as 49ers fans remember from the early years at Levi’s Stadium, that’s not great news for Monday night’s College Football Playoff championship game.

New turf, covered by a tarpaulin Saturday, was installed after the Redbox Bowl on Monday.

“That was always the plan,” CFP executive director Bill Hancock said. “We’ve put in a new field every time we’ve been outdoors. We’re confident about the field.”

In the first few years of Levi’s Stadium, starting with the 2014 season, there were major issues with the turf. Then-head coach Jim Harbaugh took the 49ers off the field during a training camp practice because of the unsafe conditions. The same thing happened in 2015 when Jim Tomsula was head coach.

A video went viral of Denver Broncos defensive lineman DeMarcus Ware pushing Carolina Panthers offensive lineman Michael Oher like a blocking sled at Levi’s Stadium during the Super Bowl in February 2016.

But more recently the grass hasn’t been a problem, and the 49ers played the Patriots in the rain in 2016 with no issues. This season it rained toward the end of the 49ers’ overtime win over the Seahawks, but the footing wasn’t a problem.

Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams said he didn’t think the turf will affect the outcome of Monday’s game.

“Whether the field is wet or dry, the team that’s more physical will win,” he said.

“It’s not going to change anything,” Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence said of the possibility of rain. “We’re still going to play how we play.”

Tom FitzGerald is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tfitzgerald@sfchronicle. com Twitter: @tomg fitzgerald