SAN JOSE — A popular park in downtown San Jose remains closed to the public since events held there for the College Football Playoff National Championship ripped up the grass and left deep puddles of mud.

The green grass of the Discovery Meadow has been gouged with tire tracks a foot deep in some areas. They were left behind by trucks that removed concert stages used for free concerts during the lead-up to the recent college football championship.

City officials have fenced off the park until repairs can be made.

"It kind of sucks that our city doesn't really take our environment as seriously," said one man who was walking his dog nearby on Tuesday. "Public parks, they don't see how important it is to people in the community."

Discovery Meadow may remain closed until April. Workers were testing the soggy turf on Tuesday.

Despite the damage, the events around the college football title game between Alabama and Clemson were an economic boost to downtown San Jose and burnished the city's reputation, according to Carolina Camarena, a spokeswoman for the city's parks, recreation and neighborhood services department.

This certainly isn't the first large event that's caused damage to a park, so it is a trade off the city is willing to take," Camarena said to KCBS Radio.

The San Francisco 49ers, which staged the game at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, and the Bay Area host committee will pay for the park's cleanup.