University of Utah Partners with Legends for Stadium Project


September 4, 2019

The University of Utah Athletics Department has finalised a partnership with Legends, a leader in global planning, sales and hospitality, to manage sales and marketing services; business intelligence and data analytics capabilities across one integrated platform for the $80M Ken Garff Performance Zone Project within Rice-Eccles Stadium.

 

Expected to be completed for the 2021 Utes football season, the project will create a fan-centric end zone that provides a mix of general and premium seating including suites, loge boxes, club seats, ledge seats, rooftop terrace seats and field level club memberships.

 

“We are thrilled to partner with Legends,” said Scott Kull, Utah’s Deputy Athletics Director for External Operations. “Legends is the leader in this space, and together with Mike Behan and his team we have been aligned in our goal from day one to provide a state-of-the-art facility for our coaches and student-athletes while providing an exceptional experience for our great fans.”

 

“Ken Garff Performance Zone has long been known as one of the premier college football venues in the country,” said Mike Behan, Legends Vice President, Collegiate Partnerships. “The expansion project will further enhance the game-day experience by introducing innovative hospitality concepts that combine recent industry trends and direct feedback from Utes fans. We are pleased to partner with forward-thinking leaders Mark Harlan, Scott Kull and Kyle Brennan, along with the entire Utah Athletics team, on the project to leverage the expertise we have honed through successfully delivering on many of the industry’s most ambitious recent collegiate stadium and arena projects.”

 

The University of Utah has been engaged with Legends since 2017 through the company’s U.S. research arm, CSL, for services that included market research designed to measure interest for enhanced seating options at Ken Garff Performance Zone . Legends will work closely with the project architect, Populous, to incorporate the feedback to design cutting-edge hospitality experiences for ticket holders, athletics donors, alumni and Utes fans.

 

“For many years, the demand for Utes football tickets has far exceeded the stadium’s seating capacity,” said CSL Principal Jay Lenhardt. “This project will expand the stadium capacity to allow more football fans access to home games, while positioning the program to continue its sellout streak well into the future. Supported by extensive market research, this project will bring fans closer to the on-field action and create an intimidating game-day environment for opponents.”

 

An industry leader in providing market research, data analytics, and sales and marketing services in the collegiate sports marketplace, Legends collegiate partners include the University of Wisconsin (Camp Randall Stadium), San Diego State (Mission Valley Stadium), Notre Dame (Notre Dame Stadium), USC (Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum), Missouri (Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium) and Villanova (Finneran Pavilion) among others, representing more than $2B in stadium and arena projects since 2014. 

See also: Press Release