The Jon M. Huntsman Center is a 15,000-seat indoor arena in the western United States, on the campus of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.
- Venue
- Jon M. Huntsman Center
- Town
- Salt Lake City, US
- Capacity
- 15,000
The Jon M. Huntsman Center is a 15,000-seat indoor arena in the western United States, on the campus of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. It is the home of the Utah Utes of the Big 12 Conference, the primary venue for basketball and gymnastics. Opened 56 years ago in late 1969 as the Special Events Center, it succeeded Nielsen Fieldhouse as the campus' primary indoor arena. It was renamed in 1987 in honor of chemicals entrepreneur and philanthropist Jon M. Huntsman (1937-2018), father of Utah's former governor Jon Huntsman, Jr. From its opening until the completion of the Delta Center in 1991, the Huntsman Center was one of Salt Lake City's premier sports and entertainment venues (along with the Salt Palace (1969-1993), the home of the Utah Stars (ABA) and later the Utah Jazz (NBA)). Architecturally, it was once known for its steel cloud, which hung from the arena's silver dome interior. The steel cloud held the arena's center court scoreboard, sound and lighting systems. The scoreboard was upgraded in the 1980s with the addition of state-of-the-art rear projection video screens. The rear projection system was upgraded in 1995, and replaced in 2006 by four LED video screens. In 2014, the arena was renovated again. The $6 million project removed the steel cloud, as well as added a new floor, LED lights, sound system, drapes, and two grand entrances to house a Hall of Fame and Legacy Hall. On May 12, 1973, The Jackson 5 performed at the center. The facility hosted the 1989 Western Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament. In addition to athletics and concerts, the arena has hosted many academic and intellectual events over the years, such as a public lecture by renowned British astrophysicist Stephen Hawking in 1995, which was reported to be the largest live audience that Hawking had ever addressed at that time. The facility hosted two games of the Utah Jazz Summer League in 2016 due to a concert at Vivint Arena. In 2017, the Utah Jazz Summer League mov