NCAA BASKETBALL
Year: Conferences: Teams:
Seasons Conferences Arenas All Tournaments NCAA Tournament Admin
Special Events Center
1825 S Campus Dr
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
Opened: November 30, 1969
Closed: March 31, 1987
Originally known as the Special Events Center, now called the Jon M. Huntsman Center is a 15,000 seat indoor arena on the campus of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. It is the home of the Utah Utes , the primary venue for basketball and gymnastics.

Opened 52 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 Vivint Arena in 1991 (as "Delta Center"), 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 Utah Jazz (NBA)).

The 15,000 seat multi-purpose arena is home to the University of Utah's "Runnin' Utes" basketball teams (men's and women's), "Red Rocks" women's gymnastics team and women's volleyball team. It also hosts concerts, mostly second-tier acts; most premier concerts have been hosted at Vivint Arena (Delta Center).

The Huntsman Center hosted the first and second rounds of the NCAA tournament 12 times (1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2003, and 2006). It hosted the West Regional Final twice (1971, 1981) and one Final Four (1979). Due to the frequency of hosting first and second round games, the Huntsman Center is third all-time in NCAA Tournament games hosted, with 81. The facility hosted the 1989 Western Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament.

Since 2010, NCAA tournament games in the city have been played at Vivint Smart Home Arena, home of the NBA's Utah Jazz. Other venues for past NCAA games in the state include the Marriott Center in Provo and the Dee Events Center in Ogden.

The arena hosted the 1979 Final Four in late March, featuring the start of the rivalry between all-time greats Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Magic's Michigan State team defeated Bird's previously unbeaten Indiana State in the final, which remains the most-watched college basketball game in history. Many observers consider the Magic-Bird rivalry established here and carried into the NBA when both entered the league that fall to be a major factor in the league's 1980s renaissance.
Last 10 Games
Date Opponents Result
Mar 26, 1979Indiana State @ Michigan St. #64 - 75
Mar 26, 1979Pennsylvania @ DePaul #93 - 96
Mar 24, 1979Pennsylvania @ Michigan St. #67 - 101
Mar 24, 1979DePaul @ Indiana State #74 - 76
Dec 16, 1972Santa Clara @ Providence $97 - 92
Dec 15, 1972Providence @ South Carolina #79 - 64
Mar 20, 1971Long Beach State @ UCLA $55 - 57
Mar 18, 1971BYU @ UCLA #73 - 91

# - 1978-79 NCAA Tournament
$ - 1972-73 Utah Classic