Delta Center

Lore & Background

The arena was originally imagined as a 20,000-seat home for the Utah Jazz and Salt Lake Golden Eagles, replacing the Salt Palace. Ground was broken on May 22, 1990, and it was completed on October 4, 1991, under the leadership and private financing of Utah businessman Larry H. Miller. The first game played was a Golden Eagles loss to the Peoria Rivermen on October 16, 1991. The first concert was headlined by Oingo Boingo on October 24, 1991. The first regular season Jazz game was a loss to the Seattle SuperSonics on November 7, 1991.

Naming rights have changed multiple times. Delta Air Lines originally named it Delta Center. In 2006, amid Delta's bankruptcy, EnergySolutions acquired naming rights, renaming it EnergySolutions Arena. Fan reactions were predominantly negative, with nicknames like 'the Chernobowl' and 'the Fallout Shelter.' In 2015, Vivint acquired naming rights under a ten-year contract. In January 2023, Delta returned as naming rights sponsor under a ten-year deal. The arena's roof was damaged by the Salt Lake City Tornado of August 11, 1999, costing US$3.757 million to repair.

Reader's Guide

Delta Center is notable for its longevity and adaptability. It is the third oldest arena in the NBA and the fourth oldest in the NHL. It hosted figure skating and short-track speed skating during the 2002 Winter Olympics under the name 'Salt Lake Ice Center' and is expected to host ice hockey during the 2034 Winter Olympics. The arena is well known for being one of the hardest places to play for visiting NBA teams and one of the loudest arenas in the NHL. In a 2008 NBA Players Poll, it was considered 'the most intimidating arena in the NBA.' During Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals, a decibel meter recorded over 110 decibels. The arena underwent a US$125 million renovation completed in fall 2017. Following the arrival of the Utah Mammoth in 2024, further renovations began in April 2025, expected to continue until October 2027, including reconstruction of the lower bowl, new dehumidifiers, and premium areas. The first regular season Utah Hockey Club game was on October 8, 2024, a 5–2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks in front of 16,020.

Did You Know?

• During the 2002 Winter Olympics, the arena was renamed 'Salt Lake Ice Center' and hosted figure skating and short-track speed skating.
• On June 8, 1996, the Delta Center hosted the largest crowd in American minor league hockey history: 17,381 fans.

From Salt Palace to a New Era

The Delta Center was conceived as a modern replacement for the aging Salt Palace, a 12,616-seat venue that had served Salt Lake City's professional sports teams since the late 1960s. Utah businessman Larry H. Miller spearheaded the project with private financing, and construction broke ground on May 22, 1990. The new arena was completed on October 4, 1991, just in time for late-October games, at a cost of $93 million—roughly $220 million in today's dollars. The Salt Lake Golden Eagles played the first game inside the building on October 16, 1991, falling 4–2 to the Peoria Rivermen; fittingly, the Eagles had also contested the inaugural contest in the old Salt Palace back in 1969. The venue's first concert drew a crowd for Oingo Boingo on October 24, 1991, while the Utah Jazz's first regular-season game came on November 7, a 103–95 loss to the Seattle SuperSonics.

A Stage for Every Sport

Beyond its NBA and NHL tenants, the Delta Center has served as a home base for a remarkable roster of professional and minor-league teams. The Salt Lake Golden Eagles called it home from 1991 to 1994, followed by the Utah Grizzlies of the International Hockey League from 1995 to 1997. The WNBA's Utah Starzz played here from 1997 through 2002, and the Arena Football League's Utah Blaze also called the building home. One of the arena's most memorable moments came on June 8, 1996, when 17,381 fans packed in for Game Four of the Turner Cup Finals—the largest crowd ever recorded in American minor-league hockey at that time. The building's Olympic credentials are equally impressive. During the 2002 Winter Games, it operated as the Salt Lake Ice Center, hosting figure skating and short-track speed skating events. It is also slated to host ice hockey competition during the 2034 Winter Olympics, cementing its role as a recurring Olympic venue.

A Name in Flux

The arena's identity has shifted more than most. Delta Air Lines originally secured the naming rights, but in 2006, amid corporate bankruptcy, the airline chose not to renew. Salt Lake City–based radioactive waste disposal firm EnergySolutions stepped in, and the new name was unveiled on November 20, 2006, before a Jazz game against the Toronto Raptors. The transition was so abrupt that two large stickers were temporarily slapped onto the court to cover the old branding. Fan reaction was overwhelmingly hostile; the building quickly earned mocking nicknames such as the Chernobowl, the Fallout Shelter, Half-Life Arena, JazzMat, and the Tox Box. Team owner Larry H. Miller publicly defended the deal as a winner. After Miller's death, the court itself was named in his honor on April 15, 2010. Vivint, a Lehi-based home-security company, then held the rights from October 2015 for a decade. On January 14, 2023, Delta announced its return under a new ten-year agreement, restoring the familiar Delta Center name effective July 1.

The Mammoth Era and What Comes Next

In April 2024, Ryan Smith—who had acquired the Jazz and the arena from the Miller family in December 2020—announced he had purchased the hockey operations of the Arizona Coyotes to launch a new NHL expansion franchise, the Utah Mammoth, for the 2024–25 season. The team's first regular-season game on October 8, 2024, saw them defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 5–2 before 16,020 fans. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman confirmed that the arena would undergo significant upgrades to expand unobstructed hockey seating from 12,000 to 17,000. Smith has secured $900 million in total funding, of which $525 million is earmarked for arena renovations and the construction of a surrounding sports-and-entertainment district. Construction began in April 2025 and is expected to run through October 2027. The lower bowl is being fully reconstructed with new risers to eliminate partial-view seats, the bowl extended by 12 feet at each end, and the playing surface raised by two feet. Additional work includes a new parking structure for premium season-ticket holders and four new dehumidifiers.

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