Utah Utes Baseball Team To Play At Smith’s Ballpark Next Season
Oct 4, 2024, 2:47 PM
(Photo courtesy of Carter Williams, KSL.com)
(Photo courtesy of Carter Williams, KSL.com)
SALT LAKE CITY – The University of Utah baseball team won’t call America First Ballpark home until 2026. Until then, the Utes will remain in Smith’s Ballpark, the former home of the Salt Lake Bees, for one more season.
With Salt Lake’s MiLB team relocating south for the upcoming season, it wasn’t quite clear where the Utes would be hitting the diamond. However, the University, in collaboration with the city and the Bees, ensured the stadium would still see one more year of collegiate baseball in 2025.
NEWS | Utah Baseball to Play 2025 Season at Smith’s Ballpark
Partnership provides Utes one more season at downtown venue, before opening Charlie Monfort Field at America First Ballpark
📰 https://t.co/4nU5uuGgFc pic.twitter.com/3VcTEsof0U
— Utah Baseball (@utahbaseball) October 4, 2024
Utah Athletics Director Mark Harlan put out a statement on the decision in a press release on Friday.
“This is an important partnership for our baseball program, to maintain continuity for one more season of play at Smith’s Ballpark before moving into their new on-campus stadium in 2026,” Harlan said. “I want to thank Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, the Salt Lake Bees, Miller Sports + Entertainment, and the Larry H. Miller Company for their partnership to make this agreement a reality.
The new Utah baseball stadium is currently under construction on the south side of campus. According to the press release, the “field surface is expected to be available for team practice beginning in Spring 2025.”
In the program’s final season in the Pac-12, they finished with a 33-22 overall record, the second-best mark in school history.
Where we’ve been ➡️ Where we’re going@Big12Conference pic.twitter.com/JhOpBMlwqz
— Utah Baseball (@utahbaseball) August 2, 2024
Utah Baseball held a groundbreaking ceremony for Charlie Monfort Field at America First Ballpark in August.
Utah Baseball Hosts Groundbreaking Ceremony On New Home
A big day and landmark moment for Utah Baseball, as Utah Athletics held the official groundbreaking ceremony for their future home, Charlie Monfort Field at America First Ballpark.
University President Taylor Randall, Athletics Director Mark Harlan, Utah Baseball head coach Gary Henderson and Colorado Rockies owner and Utah alumn Charlie Monfort spoke at the ceremony.
The new ballpark will serve the Utah Baseball program primarily. However, this will also be a park for the greater Salt Lake community to utilize as well. Harlan specifically mentioned his hopes of hosting the state high school playoff games.
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The current plans place the brand-new stadium and facilities hold an estimated $35 million price tag to construct. This will be a 1,200-seat capacity stadium and include various amenities such as:
- Ticketing, restrooms, concessions, merchandise sales
- Team facilities such as lockers, showers, medical space, equipment storage, coach’s office, indoor batting/pitching cages
- Media services such as TV and radio broadcast space, food area, restrooms
- Outdoor areas including the playing field, bullpens, and entry plazas
The field surface at the America First Ballpark is expected to be available for team practice only beginning in Spring 2025. The facility is anticipated to be completed for competition in the 2026 season.
