Utah

Most Americans don’t know Utah is hosting another Olympics. But they have thoughts about the 2034 Winter Games name

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1 month ago

February 22, 2026

Most Americans don’t know Utah is hosting another Olympics. But they have thoughts about the 2034 Winter Games name

As Italy’s Milan Cortina Olympics came to a close Sunday with a ceremonial hand off to the French Alps as the site of the next Winter Games in four years, everyone was looking ahead to Utah hosting in 2034, right?

Maybe not.

Sure, a new Deseret News-Hinckley Institute of Politics poll found 88% of Utahns know their state is where the “next next” Winter Games will be held eight years from now, a decision made by the International Olympic Committee in July 2024.

But a national poll for the Salt Lake City-based newspaper and the University of Utah institute showed pretty much the opposite. Nearly three-quarters of Americans, 72%, said they weren’t aware that Utah had been selected to host the 2034 Winter Games.

Both polls were conducted by Morning Consult, which polled 769 registered voters in Utah Feb. 11-14 and 2,002 registered voters nationwide Feb. 10-13. The Utah poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4% and the national poll, plus or minus 2%.

The lack of national awareness doesn’t seem to worry the leader of Utah’s Winter Games.

“It’s understandable,” said Fraser Bullock, president and executive chair of the Organizing Committee for the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, given that the state’s second hosting gig is so far away.

“Over time, we will close the gap on that number and get to a majority,” he said. “Particularly after the French Alps Games, when we’re the next Games, we should see a steady rise over the years.”

Bullock said Utah also can expect “a fair amount of attention” when Los Angeles holds the 2028 Summer Games as the next Olympics and Paralympics for athletes with disabilities being held in the United States.

Utah won’t be able to start selling sponsorships and making other moves in the marketplace until after the LA Games. That’s also when NBC, which holds the U.S. broadcast rights to the Olympics through 2036, is likely to start promoting Utah’s Winter Games.

Building national recognition will take time, said Bullock, who served as chief operating officer for the 2002 Winter Games in Utah. But just how organizers will try to raise the state’s profile as the host of the 2034 Games is yet to be determined.

“Let me put it this way, we’re planning to plan that,” Bullock said. “We know its something we need to do.”

Recognition of Utah at the Milan Cortina Olympics

Utah’s still-small organizing committee did have a presence at Italy’s 2026 Winter Games, including their first formal presentation to the IOC and a news conference where many questions from the international news media were about U.S. President Donald Trump.

Even so, there wasn’t much talk in Milan about the 2034 host, said Robert Livingstone, producer of GamesBids.com, a Toronto-based website that follows the competition to host future Olympics and Paralympics.

“More people were aware of Switzerland (bidding) for 2038 than that Utah had won for 2034,” Livingstone said. “People were talking French Alps and they were like, ‘Who’s after that … oh, right, Switzerland.’ I heard that a number of times.”

He said in conversations about future Winter Games, people were focused on Switzerland, which was granted a unique status as the sole bidder for 2038 by the IOC, and would “just skip over Utah because they haven’t heard anything about Utah.”

And while the French Alps had the chance to showcase the 2030 Winter Games during Sunday’s Closing Ceremonies in an ancient Roman amphitheater in Verona, the Utah Games won’t have the opportunity to do the same until the end of France’s Olympics four years from now.

One of the few hints that an American city was the site of an upcoming Winter Games came during the Feb. 6 Opening Ceremonies, when Team USA marched third from last in the Parade of Nations, ahead of athletes from France and then Italy, to signify the order of future hosts.

That same order was in place for each country’s flag bearers during the Closing Ceremonies.

Matthew Burbank, a University of Utah political science professor who’s authored two books about the Olympics, said Utah organizers were in effect limited in what they could do in Italy to promote the 2034 Games.

“I don’t think it was the time and place,” he said, noting the IOC’s “script” for future hosts calls for them to “wait your turn, stand in line, do what you’re supposed to do, show up at our meetings … but don’t call undue attention to yourself.”

The professor wasn’t surprised that Utah’s status isn’t widely known nationwide.

The Winter Games already attracts less attention than the much larger Summer Games that feature more popular sports, Burbank said. So with Los Angeles hosting those in 2028, he said if Americans “are thinking about the Olympics at all, that’s what they’re thinking.”

That’s no doubt the case globally, as well, Burbank said.

“I don’t think most people could name the French Alps as the next Winter Olympics after Milan. So with the one after that, it gets even farther away,” he said, although there’s a possibility that “because Salt Lake has held the Games before, there might be some recognition of that.”

Should 2034 be the Utah Games? Or the Salt Lake City Games?

When attention does shift to 2034, it will be on what’s been renamed the Utah Games.

In 2002, it was Salt Lake City that hosted because the IOC only awarded Games to a city. Now, cities, regions or countries can host, even joining up — as the cities of Milan and Cortina did this year.

Polling found that Utahns are split over what to call the 2034 Olympics, with 47% backing the organizing committee’s announcement late last year that they would be the Utah Games, and 32% behind the Salt Lake City Games name. Another 21% didn’t know which they preferred.

Nationally, the poll results were more clear-cut, with 50% saying the 2034 Olympics should be called the Salt Lake City Games and only 14% supporting the Utah Games name. Those who didn’t know was higher than in Utah, at 36%.

The 2034 Games organizers believe Utahns and the rest of the country will come to accept the switch from the Salt Lake City-Utah tag used throughout the Olympic bid process, which lasted more than a decade.

“The change is fairly recent and it will take some time for people to become familiar with that and accustomed to it,” Bullock said. “It will evolve over time. But remember this is a transition period where we can’t do a full launch of a brand until after the LA Games.”

Announced just before last Thanksgiving along with a new and controversial logo at the unveiling of a massive new installation at the Salt Lake City International Airport, the new “Utah 2034″ name is here to stay even though a different logo is expected in 2029.

“The name element is established,” Bullock said, promising that the 2034 Games will “have a much more comprehensive identity after the LA Games,” thanks to the ability to establish a stronger brand.

That may be a little easier in Utah, where unlike the rest of the country, the population is already overwhelmingly aware that the state is hosting in 2034. Bullock is convinced all Utahns will eventually know they’re going to welcome the world again.

“I’m thrilled that it’s 88%,” he said. “We’ll continue to spread our message, so we’ll get the other 12% that aren’t aware the Games are coming. We’re excited our citizens of Utah are paying attention to our Olympic and Paralympic future.”

What Utah organizers did in Italy during the Olympics

For Bullock, the Milan Cortina Games weren’t about increasing awareness for 2034.

He and the more than 100 other Utahns, including Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, who traveled to Italy for the Olympics largely stayed behind the scenes to get a firsthand look at putting on a Winter Games.

“It’s not our turn on the stage. We respect very much that it’s Milano Cortina’s time to shine in front of the world, as they are doing a great job,” Bullock said. “And that the baton will be handed to the French Alps.”

That meant long days of meetings about topics like technology and hospitality as well as participating in the IOC’s observer program that provides access to the back-of-the-house at Games venues as well as to operations, security, transportation and other functions.

All of it was “incredibly valuable,” Bullock said. “It’s always enjoyable to see the fulfillment of the dreams of a host … how things come together, how proud they are of the work that they’re doing, how they’re welcoming the world in their unique way, reflecting their people and their culture.”

That will happen for Utah 2034, too, he said.

“We’re just biding our time,” Bullock said. “Because we know our time will come.”

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Utah Falls in Emotional, Physical Game Against Capitals | Utah Mammoth

Published

2 hours ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

Utah Falls in Emotional, Physical Game Against Capitals | Utah Mammoth

Utah’s power play went 2-for-4, and it was the first time the Mammoth have scored two power play goals in a game since the last time they played the Capitals (Mar. 3, at Washington). Dylan Guenther and Logan Cooley each capitalized on the man-advantage in the first period. Cooley was added to the top unit with Barrett Hayton out of the lineup (week-to-week, upper-body injury), and he shared what was working for the top unit.

“Just trying to establish a shot,” Cooley explained. “Trying to build off that and then things start to open up. We have a lot of great players on that unit that can make a lot of plays, and I think when we establish a shot first (mentality) that’s when we’re going to get our opportunities, and find seams and different rebounds like that.”

“They were rolling,” Tourigny said of the power play. “The way they were attacking, the way they were direct, they were really aggressive. They were intentional, their aggressiveness, that paid off.”

In addition to his power play goal, Guenther also scored three minutes and 55 seconds later. The forward has six multi-goal efforts this season and he set a new career-high in points (61). This is his second consecutive season with 60 or more points. Guenther has been a consistent scorer for the Mammoth as he has nine goals in the month of March and has scored eight of those in the last 11 games. He trails on Boston’s Pavel Zacha (9) for the league lead in that span.

MacKenzie Weegar scored his first goal as a member of the Mammoth in the third period. He’s contributed a point in two-straight games and has grown his role with Utah. In addition to playing alongside alternate captain Mikhail Sergachev on the top d-pairing, Weegar contributes to both sides of special teams.

It’s a close playoff race in the Western Conference and Utah is still in the first wildcard spot. However, the Mammoth will need to raise their game, keep a high level of intensity, and manage their emotions in the final nine games of the regular season. Utah’s next game is a tough test against the Los Angeles Kings on the road.

“Everyone’s gotta look in the mirror, we all got better and we all know that,” Keller said. “Still super confident with our group. This is the most exciting part of the year and the most exciting hockey. We’re all positive, and we’ll learn from it and go to L.A..”

“Yeah, I think we started out good,” Cooley reflected. “Special teams were good. I thought the first period, we were moving it well. I think we kind of just started to let it slip, give up some odd-man rushes, and they capitalized. Every game is so important right now, and it stings. It’s two points that we probably should have had, especially early on with the way we were playing. We got to make sure that we are ready for a heck of a battle with L.A.”

Additional Notes from Tonight (per Mammoth PR)

Sergachev registered three assists in the first period marking the first three-assist frame of his NHL career. This also marked his second career three-point period, both of which have come against Washington, as well as his fourth three-point game this season.

Alexander Kerfoot posted an assist on Weegar’s third-period goal, marking his 300^th career NHL point. He is the 16^th player from his draft class to reach that milestone. He joins Sergachev as the second skater to accomplish the feat with Utah.

Keller posted three primary assists tonight for his eighth three-point game, third three-assist game, 23^rd multi-point game, and 13^th multi-assist game in 2025-26, all of which are team highs. The Captain has seven points over his last six games (3G, 4A).

Utah’s captain has tallied at least 70 points for the fourth consecutive season and he became the 12^th NHL player to accomplish this feat over that stretch. According to NHL PR, Keller is the fifth player in NHL history to eclipse the 70-point mark in each of a franchise’s first two seasons.

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Niskanen Center, Arnold Ventures Applaud Utah Clearance Rate Legislation – Niskanen Center

Published

15 hours ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Niskanen Center, Arnold Ventures Applaud Utah Clearance Rate Legislation – Niskanen Center

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 26, 2026

Media Contacts:
Louisa Tavlas
ltavlas@niskanencenter.org

Arnold Ventures
media@arnoldventures.org

Olin: Legislators, Cox, “providing law enforcement with additional resources to improve investigative outcomes” and keep Utah safe.

Washington, DC (March 26, 2026) — The Niskanen Center and Arnold Ventures applaud the Utah State Legislature and Governor Spencer Cox for passing new, bipartisan legislation designed to solve more crimes and provide support for crime victims. The bill, H.B. 137, passed both the Utah House of Representatives and the Utah Senate by wide, bipartisan margins and was signed into law by the Governor today.

“Making Utah as safe as possible requires ensuring law enforcement has every available resource to identify and arrest every criminal who preys upon innocent citizens,” said Jason Olin, senior government affairs manager for criminal justice at the Niskanen Center. “HB 137 establishes a Violent Crime Clearance Rate Fund that will provide law enforcement with additional resources to improve investigative outcomes. We thank Rep. Clancy and Sen. McKell for their leadership on this critical issue and Gov. Cox for signing this important piece of legislation.”

“Solving more violent crimes quickly can bring peace to victims and reduce the number of future victims,” said Kevin Ring, vice president of criminal justice advocacy at Arnold Ventures. “Would-be offenders need to know that they will be held accountable, and this law will make it more likely they will. We thank legislative leaders, including Rep. Clancy and Sen. McKell, and Gov. Cox for making sure Utah taxpayers and communities get the biggest public safety bang for their buck.”

H.B. 137, sponsored by Rep. Tyler Clancy (R-60) and Sen. Mike McKell (R-25), creates the Violent Crime Clearance Rate Fund to assist Utah law enforcement agencies in solving violent crimes. The fund will support hiring additional law enforcement officers and providing them with the tools they need to solve crimes. H.B. 137 includes provisions to ensure that resources from the fund reach departments of all sizes across both urban and rural jurisdictions. It will also help researchers conduct rigorous evaluations of the policies and practices that are most effective in solving crimes.

Utah is one of the safest states in the nation. But since 2019, the state’s violent crime clearance rate has hovered around 53%. That means nearly half of all violent crimes reported in Utah result in no arrest and no accountability. Even Utah’s 2024 homicide clearance rate of 74% — well above the national average — leaves more than 1 in 4 murders unsolved. Behind each of those unsolved cases is a victim whose family has been denied justice.

Olin, Ring, and other criminal justice experts are available for interview or comment.

More information on the Niskanen Center’s criminal justice policy work can be found here.

More information on AV’s criminal justice policy work can be found here.

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The Niskanen Center advances an evidence-based agenda to reduce the social costs of crime and punishment. Our priority is to deter crime and reduce violence by building effective systems that deliver proportional punishment swiftly and predictably, and by ensuring law enforcement has the capacity to keep our neighborhoods safe.

Arnold Ventures is a philanthropy that supports research to understand the root causes of America’s most persistent and pressing problems, as well as evidence-based solutions to address them. By focusing on systemic change and bipartisan policy reforms, AV works to improve the lives of American families, strengthen communities, and promote economic opportunity.

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Utah

Utah Jazz Reacts: Who is the most important core player?

Published

1 day ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Utah Jazz Reacts: Who is the most important core player?

The Utah Jazz are clearly doing everything they can to keep their pick in the upcoming NBA draft. Something tells me that next season, we won’t see as many players on the injury report as this season. That means that the core of this Jazz team will play, and it’s clear they’re going to play well. The question is, of the current Jazz roster, who is going to be the most important player next season? Now, Utah may win the lottery and that could change this entire question. If Utah drafts someone like Darryn Peterson or AJ Dybantsa, that changes everything. That said, let’s just ignore the lottery and draft for the sake of this question. If we’re looking at the odds, it’s statistically a little more likely Utah doesn’t draft in the top four of the draft anyway.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Jazz fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

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