Rice-Eccles Stadium

Address:515 South 700 East, Suite 2R
Salt Lake City, Utah

Home of both football and futbol, Rice-Eccles Stadium is the premier outdoor sports venue in the state of Utah. Hosting both the University of Utah Utes Division I college football team as well as Major League Soccer's Real Salt Lake, the stadium has been given an almost complete renovation and has even played a role on the international stage.

Rice-Eccles Stadium was born as Ute Stadium in 1927. In 1972 it was renovated, thanks to a gift by Robert Rice, giving the stadium a new name. The most recent facelift occurred in 1997, funded in large part by Spencer Eccles, completing the stadium's current nomenclature. In fact, almost the entire stadium was demolished right after the 1997 season, and the refurbished Rice-Eccles Stadium was ready for the Ute's season opener in 1998.

The 1997 change was necessary in order to host the stadium's biggest event to date – the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. The playing field was covered by a blacktop, as the world's best winter athletes paraded through Rice-Eccles' ground. The stadium also has hosted concerts, motorcross events, among other things.

In 2005, the stadium gained its second regular tenant, as Salt Lake City was granted an expansion MLS franchise. While Real Salt Lake has not made the playoffs in its first three seasons, they have a passionate fan base that has brought on a formal relationship with the club's namesake, Real Madrid, and spurred plans to build a soccer-only stadium in the SLC suburbs. The stadium will likely be built in the next few years.

Public tours of Rice-Eccles Stadium are available for local groups. The stadium is located on the campus of the University of Utah, in the state capital of Salt Lake City.