# Delta Center

The Delta Center is an indoor venue in Salt Lake City. Opened in 1991, the arena is the home of the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Utah Hockey Club of the National Hockey League (NHL). The arena has a seating capacity of 18,306 for basketball, up to 16,200 for ice hockey and indoor football, and 20,000 for concerts. It has 56 luxury suites and 668 club seats.
Over the years, it has also hosted other professional sports teams including the Utah Blaze of the Arena Football League and the Utah Starzz of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). During the 2002 Winter Olympics, the arena hosted figure skating and short-track speed skating competitions under the name "Salt Lake Ice Center". It is expected to host ice hockey during the 2034 Winter Olympics.

## History

The arena was originally imagined as a 20,000-seat home for the Utah Jazz and Salt Lake Golden Eagles to replace the since-demolished Salt Palace arena, which had 12,616 seats. Under the leadership and private financing of Utah businessman Larry H. Miller, ground was broken on May 22, 1990, and it was completed on October 4, 1991, in time for late-October basketball games, at a cost of $93 million ($215 million in 2024 dollars).
The first game played in the arena was a Golden Eagles game against the Peoria Rivermen on October 16, 1991, which the home team lost 4–2. The Eagles had also played the inaugural game in the Salt Palace arena when it opened on October 10, 1969.
The first basketball game played in the arena was a Jazz pre-season loss against the New York Knicks, 101–95. The first regular season game for the Jazz was a 103–95 loss to the Seattle SuperSonics on November 7, 1991.
In addition to the Utah Jazz and Blaze, the arena was the home of the WNBA's Utah Starzz from 1997 to 2002, the Salt Lake Golden Eagles from 1991 to 1994, and the Utah Grizzlies from 1995 to 1997, both of the International Hockey League. On June 8, 1996, the Delta Center hosted what was then the largest crowd in the history of American minor league hockey: 17,381 fans attended Game 4 of the 1996 Turner Cup Finals.
The arena's roof was damaged by severe winds associated with the Salt Lake City Tornado of August 11, 1999, costing $3.757 million to repair.
Dan Roberts serves as the public address announcer for the Jazz. He has been the Jazz's home game announcer since before the arena was built.
On April 15, 2010, over a year after the death of Jazz owner Larry H. Miller, the Jazz basketball court was named in his honor.
Ryan Smith purchased the arena in December 2020 from the Miller family as part of a larger agreement including the Utah Jazz.
On April 18, 2024, it was announced that the Utah Hockey Club, formed from the personnel of the Arizona Coyotes, would play in the arena beginning with the 2024–25 NHL season. The first Utah Hockey Club game at the arena took place on September 23, 2024, 3–2 preseason victory in overtime against the Los Angeles Kings. The first regular season Utah Hockey Club game took place on October 8, 2024, against the Chicago Blackhawks resulting in a 5–2 victory on home ice.

### Upgrades and renovations

On September 21, 2016, the Utah Jazz announced plans to renovate and upgrade the arena. The majority of the construction related to the building's renovation, which cost $125 million. The construction began at the conclusion of the 2016–17 Utah Jazz basketball season and was completed during fall 2017.
After the official announcement of the Utah Hockey Club, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced that the Delta Center will undergo further renovations within the next two seasons which will increase unobstructed seats from 12,000 to 17,000 in hockey configuration. On September 11, 2024, Ryan Miller announced on X that the Utah Jazz logo statue outside the arena was being moved for a new Utah Hockey Club statue outside the arena.

### Renaming

During the 2002 Winter Olympics, the arena was referred to as the Salt Lake Ice Center due to International Olympic Committee policies barring corporate-sponsored names.
After Delta Air Lines declined to renew their 15-year naming rights contract, which expired on September 30, 2006, the arena's owner, Larry H. Miller, opted to sell naming rights to EnergySolutions, a low-level nuclear waste disposal company headquartered in Salt Lake City. The new name was unveiled November 20, prior to the Jazz's home game against the Toronto Raptors. Two stickers were placed on the court, covering up the arena's old name with the new one. The temporary logos were replaced with official logos on the court sometime in December. EnergySolutions naming rights were set to expire in 2016.
Initial fan reactions to the new name were predominantly negative. Early nicknames for the arena included "the Dump", a jab at EnergySolutions' radioactive and hazardous waste disposal operations. Other suggestions included the Glow Dome, Radium Stadium, Isotope, Chernobowl, Jazzmat, Big Bang, Tox Box, Power House, Hot Spot, Plutonium Palace, Fallout Shelter, Melta Center, and Energy Pollutions Arena.
On October 26, 2015, the naming rights were acquired by the locally based home security and automation provider Vivint in a 10-year contract.
On January 14, 2023, Delta Air Lines re-purchased the naming rights to the arena, and effective on July 1, the building returned to the Delta Center name for the first time since November 20, 2006.

## Recognition

The Delta Center is well known for being one of the hardest places to play for visiting teams in the NBA. According to an NBA Players Poll taken by Sports Illustrated on February 11, 2008, the Delta Center is considered "the most intimidating arena in the NBA" with 20% of the vote made up of 240 current NBA players. Many commentators referred to the arena as the "Decibel Center," a play on the name "Delta Center." During Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals, a decibel meter installed at floor level had readings of over 110 decibels, close to the noise generated by a jet takeoff. Also, during the 1997 NBA Finals, NBC's Hannah Storm called the Delta Center "one of the loudest places in sports."

## Notable events
### Other sports

The arena hosted the 1999 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. The figure skating and short track speed skating competitions of the 2002 Winter Olympics were held at the arena.
The arena held Utah's first UFC event on August 6, 2016, for UFC Fight Night: Rodríguez vs. Caceres. The arena held its first UFC pay-per-view event on August 20, 2022, for UFC 278: Usman vs. Edwards 2. The promotion returned to the arena on July 29, 2023, for UFC 291: Poirier vs. Gaethje 2. The promotion returned again on October 5, 2024, for UFC 307: Pereira vs. Rountree Jr.
In 1999 and 2000, the Professional Bull Riders hosted an event at the arena for the Bud Light Cup Series tour, and would later return in 2024 for an Unleash the Beast Series event.

### Concerts

In addition to sports, the arena was intended to host large music concerts. On October 24, 1991, Oingo Boingo became the first headlining act to play the Delta Center.