The University of Utah is gearing up to give the Jon M. Huntsman Center a serious facelift instead of knocking it down and starting over, aiming to modernize the 57-year-old arena while shrinking general seating and carving out more premium suites. The plan is designed to keep the building at the heart of campus life and finally tackle long-running access headaches on the southeast side of campus. A final proposal is set to go before the university's Board of Trustees for a vote on March 10.
Renovation-Plus Takes Center Stage
After months of study, athletic leaders are leaning into a "renovation-plus" strategy that keeps the Huntsman Center on campus and upgrades the gameday experience instead of chasing a shiny new arena off-site. As reported by Sports Business Journal, Athletic Director Mark Harlan and other university officials have been weighing the price tag, campus logistics, and a pending private-equity arrangement while rethinking whether to rebuild or refresh the venue they already have.
What Would Change Inside the Huntsman
The Jon M. Huntsman Center, which opened in 1969 and currently seats roughly 15,000, would be reconfigured under the proposal. The seating bowl would be trimmed to make room for more premium areas, suites, and modernized concourses. Harlan told trustees, "It's our home," and framed his thinking as "renovation-plus," while officials signaled that final capacity could be dialed down based on attendance patterns. Recent season averages show the men's basketball team drawing about 7,224 fans per game, with women's basketball and gymnastics averaging roughly 2,524 and 11,135, respectively, figures reported by The Salt Lake Tribune.
Parking, College Town Magic And The Money
For fans, one of the biggest pain points has been simply getting to the building. University officials have kicked around a mix of solutions, including new surface lots, structured parking and even possible underground options, to smooth the trek to games. The Huntsman decision is wrapped into President Taylor Randall’s broader "College Town Magic" framework, which aims to add thousands of on-campus beds and reshape key campus districts. Industry coverage has also pointed out that a pending private-equity arrangement could play a role in how the project is funded or operated; see At the U and earlier plans to move the Huntsman Center off campus for context, as per Hoodline.
What's Next For Fans And The Board
The Board of Trustees is scheduled to take up a finalized plan at its March 10 meeting, a decision point that could lock the university into renovating rather than replacing the Huntsman. Even with approval, the school will be staring down a tricky construction timeline, trying to phase arena work alongside new housing and other campus projects while keeping an eye on long-range events, including planning that connects to the 2034 Winter Games. The timing of the vote and the presentation of final documents were reported by The Salt Lake Tribune.
The Huntsman Center has hosted generations of Utes teams and major NCAA events, and university leaders say the renovation is intended to protect that history while turning the building into a more modern, revenue-friendly arena. For background on the venue’s past and its current setup, see the facilities overview from Utah Athletics.
