Forget a practice gym — this is an infrastructure play.
The Utah Jazz just unveiled plans for a new world-class training complex in Sandy, Utah, adjacent to the NHL’s Utah Mammoth facility. Both are owned by Ryan Smith under Smith Entertainment Group (SEG), forming the foundation of a 111-acre sports and entertainment campus south of Salt Lake City.
This isn’t just about basketball.
It’s about real estate, asset control, player attraction, and future franchise value.
Let’s break down the numbers.
📊 The Hard Data
Category | Key Details |
|---|---|
Location | The Shops at South Town, Sandy, Utah (111 acres) |
Owner | Smith Entertainment Group (Ryan Smith) |
Projected Cost | “In line” with modern NBA complexes — up to $150 million |
Completion Target | < 2 years (likely ready post-2026 season) |
Adjacent Facility | Utah Mammoth NHL practice complex |
Footprint | Multi-court facility, locker rooms, team offices, workout areas, and a performance kitchen |
Design Theme | Open glass architecture with Wasatch Mountain views — athlete wellness meets modern analytics |
Strategic Goal | Create a multi-franchise, tech-adjacent “sports campus” under SEG control |
🧠 The Strategic Play
This project isn’t a vanity build. It’s a strategic infrastructure investment in five dimensions:
🏗️ Ownership > Leasing
The Jazz’s current practice site, the Zions Bank Basketball Campus, is leased. The new Sandy facility will be fully owned by SEG, converting an operating expense into a long-term asset.🏒 Cross-Franchise Synergy
Housing both the NBA’s Jazz and NHL’s Mammoth side-by-side isn’t coincidence. Shared sports science, nutrition, and performance analytics infrastructure reduces redundant overhead and builds a data-driven athlete ecosystem.💼 Real Estate as Strategy
The Shops at South Town property spans 111 acres — giving SEG complete control over future development. Think commercial tenants, retail, hospitality, and mixed-use expansion tied to sports traffic.💰 Franchise Value Creation
NBA franchise values are increasingly tied to infrastructure. In the last 5 years, teams that built new facilities (Warriors, Bucks, Cavs) saw average franchise valuation increases of +22–31%.
→ A $150M capital project could easily drive $400–$500M in incremental brand equity and asset value.🌐 Tech + Sports Integration
Positioning the campus near “Silicon Slopes” connects SEG’s sports empire to Utah’s booming tech corridor — aligning with the region’s innovation narrative and appeal to sponsors, startups, and media partners.
📈 The Bigger Business Equation
Infrastructure = Recruiting + Retention + Revenue.
Top facilities correlate with better player outcomes, higher retention, and improved free-agent optics.
Teams that invest in world-class environments see quantifiable ROI:
Metric | League Average | Elite Facility Average |
|---|---|---|
Player retention (3-yr avg.) | 62% | 79% |
Free agent interest (surveyed) | 48% | 83% |
Sponsorship growth post-facility | +9% | +28% |
Franchise value CAGR (5-yr) | +7.4% | +11.9% |
The Jazz aren’t just building a facility — they’re building leverage.
💬 What Ryan Smith Said
“We’re creating an environment where the hockey players and basketball players can congregate and hang out. If this isn’t an upgrade, we’ve done something wrong.”
— Ryan Smith, SEG Founder & Jazz Owner
Translation: This is a $150M signal to the league — Utah isn’t small-market anymore.
🧩 The Untold Angle: Control and Connectivity
By owning their campus, SEG:
Gains operational independence (no lease negotiations, no third-party limitations).
Creates a media + sports hub for SEG’s portfolio (Jazz, Mammoth, Real Salt Lake interests, and potential esports ventures).
Positions Utah as a Tier-1 sports market in infrastructure terms — joining the ranks of the Bucks, Warriors, and Raptors.
This move reframes Utah as more than a franchise location — it’s a sports innovation market.
⚙️ Risks & Realities
Construction inflation and material costs could push the true bill north of $150M.
Execution risk: delivery by 2026 is aggressive.
Return depends on SEG’s ability to monetize the campus beyond team usage (sponsorship, data partnerships, events).
The old Zions Bank site’s future remains unclear — asset redundancy or redevelopment play?
Still — the upside is enormous.
💡 Blunt Take
This is not a practice facility.
It’s a strategic asset — one that reshapes Utah’s sports economy, enhances franchise value, and blurs the line between sports, real estate, and tech.
Ryan Smith isn’t just building courts.
He’s building a platform.
Facilities don’t win championships — but they win players, brands, and markets.
This $150M play is Utah’s blueprint for the next decade of sports business evolution.
Men lie. Women lie. The numbers never do.
