SALT LAKE CITY — A growing number of Utah high schools have about as many mountain bike racers as football players. That surprising development becomes obvious at the starting line of weekend races.

“We are the largest youth cycling organization in the nation,” said Dallen Atack, board president of the Utah High School Cycling League.

Just 10 years ago, there were 320 riders. Now more than 7,500 students compete.

“I love being out there all the time,” said Morgan High School rider Blair Erickson.

Riders aren’t the only ones who love high school mountain biking.

“They have an incredible impact on our community,” said Maria Twitchell, director of Visit Cedar City, Brian Head Tourism Bureau.

“It bolsters the community because they have to eat and get gas and stay,” said Dennis Jorgensen, mountain bike organizer in Richfield.

Mountain bike races held among the ridges of Richfield, the peaks of Price and the vistas of Vernal bring thousands of visitors who likely wouldn’t otherwise come to these small Utah towns.

“From fast food to sit down, our restaurants are full,” said Price Mayor Michael Kourianos.

In Richfield, traffic and hotel parking lots are filled with cars carrying valuable cargo.

“Any time you drive down main street, you see a van or car with bikes on the back of it, and that didn’t use to be the case,” said Carson DeMille, chairman of the Richfield Trail Committee.

What’s become clear in city after city, is that on race weekends, huge open fields have become paydirt:

• $1,000,000 in Price
• $1,800,000 in Cedar City
• $500,000 in Richfield.

So no surprise, small towns all over Utah are racing to build tracks of their own.

Tracks have existed for a number of years in Richfield, Cedar City, Vernal, Price, St George, Manti, Beaver Mountain, Eagle Mountain and Soldier Hollow.

More recently, trails have come online in Mantua, Herriman and Beaver. And new trails have come or are coming to Tooele, Panguitch and Gunnison.  Morgan has a track in the works.

A map showing Utah counties and the many bike trails that have been established. (KSL TV)

The cities of Price and Herriman are working on second tracks.

“It’s pretty competitive. We don’t really talk about it, but on our end, we try to take care of those race directors,” said Lesh Coltharp, director of Tourism and Events for Uintah County.

Ahead of the races, big open fields of dirt turn into mini cities of high school staging tents. There’s a reason these races are more suited to rural Utah than established ski resorts and trail areas.

“We do have specific standards on how long the course needs to be,” said Michelle Lyman, race director for region 2.

They need broad tracks that are 4-6 miles, about 500 feet in elevation, with nothing too steep or too narrow.

But the number one requirement:

“We need to have at least 1,000 parking spaces to hold one of our races,” Atack said.

Many cities combine private, county and BLM lands with donations, county and state grants to build their tracks.

It’s more than just economics that fuels mountain biking mania. Unlike most high school sports, everyone gets to compete. No one sits on the sidelines.

“Nobody rides the bench, is one of our favorite mottos of the league,” Atack said.

These tracks provide a valuable source of recreation and opportunity for kids, especially in small towns.

“I knew that if we could get these kids riding it would change their lives,” said Dennis Jorgensen, of Richfield.

“We’re building athletes.  And those athletes turn to lifetime users and recreationists and come back year after year and bring their kids,” added Maria Twitchell, of Cedar City.

In many cities, trail maintenance can also become a part-time, high school job.

Since mountain biking isn’t a high school-sanctioned sport, the need for parent volunteers is great. They require a 1:6 coach-to-student ratio, just to ride on the trails.

“This is a sport where parents can practice and ride right alongside their kids, support them in the day,” Lyman said.

So, while mountain biking is changing the face of high school sports for thousands of families, it is also putting Utah towns on the map for tourism.

“Word of mouth continues to grow, so the impact is much larger than we anticipated,” said Amy Myers, Sevier County tourism director.

“When the community benefits,” Jorgensen said, “We all benefit.”

OREM, Utah — Stepping up to help each other make ends meet, the Orem community is helping families get things they need this winter through a clothing swap.

Monday evening at Lakeridge Junior High, families picked out items and filled bags with clothes, jackets, shoes, books and more.

“It’s a blessing to be here, to be able to have them get the clothes they need and be able to give back too,” said Alyssa Dixon, a mom of three. “As a single mom, it’s really hard to support and especially for how expensive prices are, with inflation, gas prices, everything going on, it is really hard to do that extra thing of clothes they want and clothes they need.”

All the items are donated by others in the community. The free clothing swap was hosted by the Alpine School District’s outreach team.

“It’s for everybody in the community,” said Alyson Madsen, the community outreach coordinator for the Alpine School District. “Whether you have school-aged kids or not.”

Families brought clothes their kids outgrew or don’t wear anymore, and got to pick up new ones.

“It feels pretty good because you don’t have to pay for it,” said Lia Atondo, an eighth-grader at Lakeridge.

Last year, the swap was only at one school. This year they expanded to more schools because they saw a need and have been collecting donations since September.

“It’s filling a need,” added Madsen. “It’s filling something that ordinarily they couldn’t get on their own for their own family. And it makes me emotional sometimes because it’s just something that we can provide that they can’t for themselves.”

Kids get to pick out their own clothes, which helps them feel more confident, with the opportunity to express their own style. Plus, staying warm in the winter is now one less thing these families need to worry about.

“Going through the battles of life, it’s just super helpful,” added Dixon.

There’s another clothing swap this Friday at Orem Junior High School that’s open to the public. And if you want to help, they need more winter coats. Donations can be dropped off at the school before or during the event from 6-8 p.m.

Utah Utes wide receiver Mycah Pittman has officially left the team, as confirmed by head coach Kyle Whittingham on Monday.

This announcement follows days of speculation around Pittman’s status with the team, bringing clarity to a situation that had generated considerable interest. According to Whittingham, Pittman “has chosen to pursue other opportunities,” though his specific plans remain uncertain. There may still be a question about his remaining eligibility, leaving the door open to possibilities in either college football or a potential pursuit of a National Football League career. Whittingham noted that Pittman’s decision to step away from the program was made in the middle of last week.

Pittman was in his second season with the Utes after transferring from Florida State. However, his transition into Utah’s offense was challenging, as he struggled to find a significant role. Over his two seasons with the Utes, Pittman registered only nine receptions for 70 receiving yards. His last appearance with Utah came three weeks ago in a loss to Houston, in which he recorded just two receptions for four yards.

As Utah prepares to face a Colorado Buffaloes team led by Deion Sanders, they will be without Pittman and tight end Brant Kuithe, who suffered a season-ending injury Saturday night vs. BYU. The upcoming game road game is scheduled for Noon ET and will be a pivotal matchup for the Utes as they aim to improve their standing in the Big 12. Pittman’s departure highlights the shifting dynamics within the Utah roster as they seek to end their season on a high note despite recent challenges.