Utah Board Of Trustees Give Go-Ahead On Utes Baseball Stadium

SALT LAKE CITY – A meeting to discuss potential on-campus stadium plans for Utah baseball took place Tuesday, April 11 with the University of Utah board of trustees giving the go-ahead on fundraising for the project.

Earlier in the year it was announced the Salt Lake Bees and Smith’s Ballpark will be moving to Daybreak in the future leaving the Utah baseball team without a home. 

The potential plans put a brand-new stadium and facilities off of Guardsman Way for Utah baseball with an estimated $35 million price tag to construct. This includes a 1,200-seat on-campus stadium that would also house team facilities, lockers, showers, etc. along with fan concessions, restrooms, and a media press box.

.@UUtah Board of Trustees gives contingency approval to build an on-campus @utahbaseball stadium!

Fundraising initiative underway! ⚾️

📰 https://t.co/149vVXR6qw#GoUtes pic.twitter.com/s3Oca5UurB

— Utah Athletics (@utahathletics) April 11, 2023

What This Means For Utah Baseball

The proposed site for the stadium is where the current practice field resides and could open as soon as 2025.

The university has been studying on-campus sites for the stadium for over a decade before narrowing it down to the proposed site.

“The goal and purpose for this location on Guardsman Way is that it provides the most beneficial site for our baseball program and our fans,” Athletic Director Mark Harlan said. “For our student-athletes it is situated in close proximity to other Athletics facilities, including our dining facility in the Spence and Cleone Eccles Football Center, and for our fans it provides ample parking and ease of access on game days.”

Another consideration the Utes have had to take into account when deciding on a location is community impact. Robin Burr, the university’s chief facilities officer says the school has worked in alignment with the surrounding Sunnyside community in an effort to come up with a plan that will work for everybody.

“Noise, light, safety and traffic have been the consistent concerns raised, and our design addresses each of these factors,” Burr said. “This new design is also scaled back from proposals and fits nicely on the space we have designated.”

Michelle Bodkin is the Utah Utes Insider for KSLsports.com and host of both the Crimson Corner Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and The Saturday Show (Saturday from 10 a.m.–12 p.m.) on The KSL Sports Zone. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram: @BodkinKSLsports

Follow @bodkinkslsports