Rice-Eccles Stadium sits on the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City, serving as the home field for Utah Utes football since it reopened on September 12, 1998, following a $50 million reconstruction. The stadium traces its roots to Ute Stadium, which opened on the same site in 1927 and was later renamed Rice Stadium in 1972 after a $1 million donation from alumnus Robert L. Rice. Its current name honors George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles, whose $10 million gift helped fund the 1998 rebuild.
Beyond college football, the stadium earned a place in Olympic history as the site of the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2002 Winter Olympics and the 2002 Winter Paralympics. A 2019-2021 south end zone renovation, anchored by a $17.5 million lead gift from the Ken Garff family, added premium seating and pushed capacity past 51,000, and the venue is slated to again host Olympic ceremonies when the Games return to Utah in 2034.
Stats at a Glance
- Team(s): Utah Utes football (1998-present)
- Location: 451 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, Utah
- Opened: September 12, 1998 (site dates to 1927)
- Capacity: about 51,444
- Elevation: about 4,637 feet above sea level
- Notable fact: Hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics opening and closing ceremonies
From Ute Stadium to Rice-Eccles
The stadium’s history stretches back to 1927, when Ute Stadium first opened with a capacity of about 20,000. A 1972 expansion enlarged it to roughly 32,500 seats and brought the name Rice Stadium, honoring a $1 million gift from businessman and alumnus Robert L. Rice. In preparation for the 2002 Winter Olympics, the facility underwent a near-total rebuild between late 1997 and September 1998, funded in part by a $10 million donation from George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles, giving the venue its current name.
An Olympic and College Football Landmark
Rice-Eccles Stadium’s biggest moment on the world stage came on February 8, 2002, when it hosted the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics, followed by the closing ceremony on February 24; it also hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Paralympics. On the football side, the stadium has grown steadily, most recently through the 2019-2021 Ken Garff Red Zone project, an $80 million south end zone renovation that added premium seating and brought capacity to about 51,444. The record attendance of 54,383 was set during a Utah-BYU game on November 9, 2024.
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Rice-Eccles Stadium FAQs
Who plays at Rice-Eccles Stadium?
The Utah Utes college football team has called Rice-Eccles Stadium home since it reopened in 1998. The MLS club Real Salt Lake also played there from 2005 to 2008, and the AAF’s Salt Lake Stallions used it in 2019.
Why is it called Rice-Eccles Stadium?
The name honors two donors: Robert L. Rice, whose 1972 gift funded an earlier expansion, and George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles, whose $10 million donation helped pay for the 1998 rebuild that created the current stadium.
Did Rice-Eccles Stadium host the Olympics?
Yes. It hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics and the 2002 Winter Paralympics, and it’s expected to host Olympic ceremonies again when the Winter Games return to Utah in 2034.
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Photo: Kuleralsen / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.