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 NHL team of the National Hockey League (NHL). 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). With a seating capacity of 18,306 for basketball, 14,000 for ice hockey and indoor football, and 20,000 for concerts, the arena offers space for many kinds of events. It has 56 luxury suites and 668 club seats. During the 2002 Winter Olympics, the arena hosted figure skating and short-track speed skating competitions under the name "Salt Lake Ice Center".
Former names
Delta Center (1991–2006, 2023–present)
Salt Lake Ice Center (2002)
EnergySolutions Arena (2006–2015)
Vivint Smart Home Arena (2015–2020)
Vivint Arena (2020–2023)
301 W. South Temple
Salt Lake City, Utah
Smith Entertainment Group
56
18,306 (basketball)[1]
14,000 (hockey and indoor football) 20,000 (concerts)
Approx. 7,000 (theater)May 22, 1990
October 9, 1991
US$93 million
($217 million in 2023 dollars[2])
FFKR Architecture[3]
Ralph L. Wadsworth Engineering
Olsen & Peterson Consulting Engineers, Inc.[4]
Ohbayashi/Sahara
Recognition[edit]
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.[31] 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."[32]
Notable events[edit]
Other sports[edit]
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.[33]
The arena held Utah's first UFC event on August 6, 2016, for UFC Fight Night: Rodríguez vs. Caceres.[34] The arena held its first UFC pay-per-view event on August 20, 2022, for UFC 278: Usman vs. Edwards 2.[35] The promotion returned to the arena on July 29, 2023 for UFC 291: Poirier vs. Gaethje 2.[36]
Beginning in 2021, the arena began hosting Frozen Fury, a National Hockey League preseason series between the Los Angeles Kings and the Vegas Golden Knights.[37]
In 1999 and 2000, the Professional Bull Riders hosted an event at the arena for the Bud Light Cup Series tour,[38][39] and would later return in 2024 for an Unleash the Beast Series event.
Concerts[edit]
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.[40]