There’s an update on Utah’s on-campus ballpark
It is still years until the University of Utah will have a baseball-dedicated ballpark on campus, but what that stadium will look like is becoming clearer.
Utah announced Tuesday that it has entered into a multi-year partnership with America First Credit Union to name Utah baseball’s future on-campus home America First Ballpark.
The agreement is for 10 years of naming rights and is part of Utah’s fundraising efforts for the ballpark.
“We are incredibly grateful for the tremendous partnership between America First Credit Union and Utah Athletics,” Utah athletic director Mark Harlan said in a statement. “This generous investment by AFCU to name our on-campus baseball stadium is another demonstration of their strong commitment to supporting our student-athletes and our athletics programs, and an illustration of the excitement around bringing Utah Baseball back to campus.
“It further extends AFCU’s ongoing support of not only Utah Athletics but the entire University of Utah community. These types of partnerships elevate each organization, and we are extremely grateful. America First Ballpark will be a shared community asset.”
The ballpark, planned to have 1,200 seats and projected to cost approximately $35 million, will be located on the site of the current Utah baseball practice field on Guardsman Way. It is expected to open in 2025, with the majority of the funding privately raised.
Per Utah athletics, the design phase of America First Ballpark is currently underway, and construction is expected to begin this winter.
The Utes’ baseball team will continue to play their home games at Smith’s Ballpark in downtown Salt Lake City for the time being, with the intention of moving to America First Ballpark in time for the 2025 season.
