‘Do we move it or do we renovate it?’: Mark Harlan talks Huntsman Center plans, Under Armour, private equity and more

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Could the Jon M. Huntsman Center ultimately stick around?

Back in March 2025, Utah’s board of trustees voted unanimously to allow campus leaders to explore alternative sites for the Jon M. Huntsman Center.

In that March board meeting, University of Utah president Taylor Randall announced plans for a renovation of Utah’s campus, which would include new buildings on the current site of the Huntsman Center.

A new arena — which would host basketball, gymnastics and volleyball matches, plus other events — would be built as part of the campus overhaul.

“I want to make it clear that we have not decided where the new arena should go,” said Randall. “We need to study the economics, the location, the parking, the access, and events will continue at our current Huntsman Center until a new arena is constructed.”

In a media availability Tuesday, though, Harlan said the University of Utah may renovate the Huntsman Center instead of building a new arena.

“We’re still trying to look through and say, do we move it or do we renovate it? And I think this year is the year for us to make some decisions on that,” Harlan said.

The 15,000-seat arena, called the Special Events Center when it opened in 1969, has hosted Utah Athletics events, concerts, graduations and even the famous 1979 Final Four that featured the Magic Johnson-Larry Bird national championship game.

“It’s something that, as I’ve said before, it’s a historical building with enormous history for us and certainly college basketball and other sports, but it’s complicated, Harlan exaid. ”It’s a complicated project in a day where our budget has gone up with revenue share, so we have to factor all of that.”

If the University of Utah does decide to build a new arena, what could the potential capacity be?

Harlan said Utah hasn’t spent a lot of time on the specifics of how many people a potential new arena can hold — instead focusing more on the location — but said most new college basketball arenas have a capacity of 8,000-9,000.

The attendance for Utah men’s basketball has been down for years, but the gymnastics program has consistently drawn large crowds to the arena.

“I’ve talked to (Utah gymnastics coach) Carly (Dockendorf) about that, and there’s two ways you can look at that, right? We’re averaging right around 9,000 to 10,000 of actual people coming in for gymnastics right now. We know it could be more in any given year, but there’s also a thing, well, what if it was 9,000 and you just couldn’t get a seat and it was crazy in there,” Harlan said.

“There’s something about that too. So the great thing about all our coaches, we’re all partners and whatever we build is going to have unbelievable services for athletes, but it’s a fair question. It’s something we have to take into consideration.”

Utah is nearing the finalization of a private equity deal with Otro Capital, which could infuse as much as $500 million into the athletic department over the course of the deal, which could help with the finances of constructing a new arena.

“You mentioned specifically Otro and certainly Utah Brands and Entertainment. They’ll all be a part of that conversation going forward and also the bonding that we do when we get to that place,” Harlan said.

Here are other items of note from Harlan’s media availability:

Utah’s apparel deal

Utah has been outfitted by Under Armour since 2008, and the Utes have continued their relationship with the Maryland-based athletic apparel company in the years since, signing a 10-year extension in 2016.

The Utes’ current deal with Under Armour is for $65 million over 10 years and it expires in June 2027.

Ute center Zane Taylor shows off his new camo uniform, unveiled by Under Armour, during a press conference at the University of Utah on Monday.

Under Armour’s presence in college sports has dwindled over recent years as the brand has terminated deals with schools, including sponsorships of UCLA and Cal. In 2026, Under Armour will sponsor just six Power Four teams — Utah, Notre Dame, Maryland, Wisconsin, Northwestern and Georgia Tech.

Could Utah look for a new apparel deal soon, or re-up with Under Armour?

“For transparency, I’m flying out there tomorrow. I’m going to meet with Kevin (Plank, Under Armour CEO) and his team, with my management team, and we’re going to have a talk. When you get to this place, you kind of start having significant conversations about that partnership,” Harlan said.

“It’s been great for Utah. I mean, we’ve really grown together and I know a lot of the senior team, but I’m going to fly out there with my group. We’re going to go out there and take a good look. Obviously, with the new (private equity) deal, again, not done, it would be foolish of me not to have conversations with them. And that’s the process that we’re getting busy with right now.”

When will the private equity deal be finalized?

Utah’s private equity deal with Otro Capital is not finalized yet, but the hope from the athletic department is that it will be soon.

“There’s a lot of work going on right now to finalize that, take it to the trustees, I think later this month or the first part of next. We’re already doing a lot of organization within the department on all the different units that we showed in the slides. So we’re talking to individuals involved and all that. So we’re doing a lot of prep work with the real belief that we’ll get the deal done,” Harlan said.

In Morgan Scalley’s introductory press conference, Harlan emphasized that Utah will continue to provide “the resources needed to attract and retain the best talent and the best coaches.”

The private equity deal will help ensure that Utah will be able to meet the maximum revenue sharing cap ($20.5 million this year) each season and also provide some new opportunities in NIL.

“The next step is just having this new group really energize with all the corporate deals and having our (athletes) involved going forward,” Harlan said. “And that’s both certainly for men’s basketball, women’s basketball, certainly have some gymnasts. So we’re just going to be a lot more tethered. We can almost kind of have a quasi-marketing agency within that as we continue to build it this spring.”

Asked if Utah has enough money to compete at the highest level, today and into the future, Harlan had an emphatic response.

“Well, we won 11 games. So I think we compete at the very highest level. We were 15th in the CFP … There is a narrative perhaps that Utah doesn’t have, which is confounding to me. It’s a confusing world in college football, but I look at all that we’ve retained and all that we’re recruiting not only last year, but what’s already going on this year in our recruitment efforts,” Harlan said.

“... We’re right up there with everybody in revenue share. We’re also doing it in a way that keeps our integrity intact and it’s within the rules that we’re doing. And so I’m real proud of what we’re doing. I’m real proud of a lot of the deals that are coming forward through NIL Go. We will not do anything that does not go through NIL Go as long as I’m the athletic director here. It’ll be rev share and authentic NIL, and that’s the place that we’re really focusing on”

What will the impact of the Olympics be on Rice-Eccles Stadium?

The 2002 Winter Olympics transformed Rice-Eccles Stadium.

The Salt Lake Organizing Committee poured nearly $8 million into Rice-Eccles Stadium, which hosted the opening and closing ceremonies, to construct a new six-level press box and luxury seating tower. To get the venue ready to host the world, Rice-Eccles Stadium was completely renovated and expanded to over 45,000 seats.

As Utah prepares to host the 2034 Winter Games, Rice-Eccles Stadium is once again expected to host the opening and closing ceremonies.

In 2021, the university completed an $80 million renovation of the south end zone, which enclosed the seating bowl, expanded capacity to 51,444 and included new locker rooms and luxury seating areas.

There are still improvements necessary to enhance the fan experience at Rice-Eccles Stadium, and the first priority should be expanding concourses in the venue.

“Where we’re standing today, Rice-Eccles, we can’t just be in this beautiful south end zone and not think of the things that we also need to do for the stadium. So it’s every day we’re looking at these things,” Harlan said.

Harlan said that Utah should benefit from the Olympics returning to Rice-Eccles Stadium.

“We are honored and blessed to host the Olympics here again at University of Utah, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to cut a bad deal. So I would say whether it comes to athletics, the general university, everything, I think we’re all going to have a great opportunity to really benefit, to your point, as we have in the past,” Harlan said.