Rice - Eccles Stadium Rice - Eccles Stadium is an outdoor college football stadium in Salt Lake City , Utah , on the campus of the University of Utah . It is the home field of the Utah Utes of the Pacific - 12 Conference . It served as the main stadium for the 2002 Winter Olympics ; the Opening and Closing Ceremonies were held at the stadium , which was temporarily renamed " Rice - Eccles Olympic Stadium " . The FieldTurf playing field runs in the traditional north - south configuration , and sits at an elevation of above sea level , above downtown Salt Lake City . History . When Salt Lake City was awarded the 2002 Winter Olympics in 1995 , it was obvious that Rice Stadium , the largest outdoor stadium in Salt Lake City , was not suitable to serve as the main stadium . The concrete , timber , and earth - fill facility had been built in 1927 and was showing its age . In 1996 , U of U athletic director Chris Hill announced plans to renovate Rice Stadium into a new facility that would be up to Olympic standards . It was initially expected to take three years to completely overhaul the facility . However , in 1997 , Spencer Eccles , a Utah alumnus and chairman of Utah ' s biggest bank , First Security Corporation ( now part of Wells Fargo ) , announced that the George S . and Dolores Dore Eccles Foundation would donate $ 10 million toward the project . In recognition of this gift , the U of U received permission from the Eccles family to add George Eccles ' s name to the stadium alongside that of Robert L . Rice , who had funded the original renovation project to Rice Stadium in 1972 . Before it was called Rice Stadium , it was called Ute Stadium , which opened in 1927 with a Utah win over Colorado Mines . Immediately after the final home game on November 15 , fittingly a 31 – 14 victory over Rice , most of Rice Stadium was demolished for the renovation . All that remained of the old stadium were the stands in the south end zone , built in 1982 . The stadium did not miss a football season , as the project was timed not to disrupt the 1997 home schedule . The new stadium was ready less than 10 months later for the 1998 home opener , a 45 – 22 win over Louisville on September 12 . The stadium now seats 45 , 807 and has a 6 - story press box , as in 2014 a row of bleachers has been added in the standing room areas on the east , west and north sections of Rice - Eccles Stadium . Forty ADA seats were also added for a total of 790 new seats , bringing the capacity of Rice - Eccles Stadium to 45 , 807 ( from 45 , 017 ) . There will still be space for standing room behind the new row of bleachers . In June 2010 , the U of U accepted an invitation to join the Pacific - 10 Conference ( which changed its name to the Pacific - 12 Conference shortly after the Utah Utes and the Colorado Buffaloes joined ) and began playing in the conference during 2011 - 2012 season . It is expected that Rice - Eccles Stadium is to be expanded and the locker room facilities upgraded . This claim was furthered when both KSL . com and the Deseret News reported that the University was seriously considering expanding the stadium by at least 10 , 000 seats , which would bring the total stadium capacity to anywhere between 55 , 000 to 60 , 000 . Features . Olympic Cauldron Park . Immediately south of the stadium is the Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Cauldron Park . The park contains a 2002 Winter Olympic museum , the Olympic cauldron , Hoberman Arch , and other memorabilia from the games . < br clear = all > Playing surface . Since 2002 , the playing field at Rice - Eccles Stadium has been FieldTurf , a next - generation infilled synthetic turf , which was most recently replaced in 2009 . When the stadium reopened in 1998 , its surface was SportGrass , a hybrid of natural grass and artificial turf . Earlier , Rice Stadium had been among the first facilities to use SportGrass . A full natural grass was installed in 2000 for two seasons , then was covered by asphalt blacktop for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics in February . Usage . 2002 Winter Olympics & Paralympics . During the 2002 Winter Olympics , the stadium served as the venue for the Opening Ceremony on February 8 , 2002 , and for the Closing Ceremony on February 24 , 2002 . In order to host the ceremonies , the grass field was paved over with asphalt and a stage was constructed , scoreboards were removed , flags and Olympic livery were installed , temporary seating was brought in ( allowing more than 50 , 000 spectators ) , and the 2002 Olympic cauldron was installed atop the southern bleachers . For the duration of the games , the stadium was temporary renamed the " Rice - Eccles Olympic Stadium " . Through broadcasts from the stadium an estimated 3 . 5 billion people worldwide watched the Opening and Closing Ceremonies on television . The opening ceremony of the 2002 Winter Paralympics was also held in the stadium on March 7 , 2002 . Concerts . The Rolling Stones played here three times : In October 1994 , when the venue was known as Rice Stadium and during their Voodoo Lounge Tour , in 2002 during their Licks Tour and 2006 during their Bigger Bang Tour . U2 were scheduled to kick off the 3rd leg of their 360° Tour here , on June 3 , 2010 , but was postponed , due to Bono ' s emergency back surgery . They returned on May 24 , 2011 , with The Fray as their opening act . Real Salt Lake . Rice - Eccles Stadium was also the home field of the Major League Soccer franchise Real Salt Lake from 2005 until October 2008 , when Rio Tinto Stadium was opened in the suburb of Sandy , south of Salt Lake City . Utah Utes . Rice - Eccles Stadium replaced Rice Stadium , the former home field of the Utah Utes football team . The first Utes game at the stadium was a 45 – 22 victory over the Louisville Cardinals was held on September 12 , 1998 with 44 , 112 in attendance . The Utes had a 53 – 16 record at the stadium through the 2009 season .