The Jazz have played in Salt Lake City since 1979, but the franchise began in 1974 as an expansion team in New Orleans, which explains the name. In that time the team has had five regular homes: three in New Orleans, the Salt Palace and, since 1991, the Delta Center.
Here is every home in order, with the years the Jazz played there, what made each one matter and what stands on the site today. Each arena with a ThrillZing guide links to it.
Every Jazz Arena, 1974 to Today
- New Orleans
- 1974–1975
Loyola Field House
Loyola's 1954 gym, one of two homes in the expansion Jazz's first season. The court sat so high that the players' union made the team put a net around it so players would not fall into the stands.
Today: Demolished in 1986 for a Loyola recreation complex and parking garage
- 1974–1975
Municipal Auditorium
A 1930 auditorium in what is now Louis Armstrong Park, next to Congo Square. The Jazz split their inaugural 1974–75 season between here and Loyola, then moved into the new Superdome.
Today: Abandoned since Hurricane Katrina damaged it in 2005
1975–1979Four seasons in the giant dome. High demand for dates, onerous lease terms, an 11% amusement tax and a month-long Mardi Gras road trip each year made New Orleans unworkable, and the team left for Utah in 1979.
Today: Still home of the New Orleans Saints, now named Caesars Superdome
Stadium history →- Salt Lake City
- 1979–1991
Salt Palace
Salt Lake County's 1969 civic arena, former home of the ABA's Utah Stars. The Jazz kept their name after the late move. John Stockton and Karl Malone arrived here, but it seated just over 12,000 with no luxury suites.
Today: Demolished in 1994; the Salt Palace Convention Center stands on the site
- 1991–presentCurrent home
Privately financed by owner Larry H. Miller and opened in October 1991. The Jazz played the 1997 and 1998 Finals here. Known as EnergySolutions Arena and Vivint Arena from 2006 to 2023; shared with the NHL's Utah Mammoth.
Visiting guide →
Jazz Arena FAQ
Where did the Jazz play before Utah?
In New Orleans, from 1974 to 1979. Their first season was split between the Municipal Auditorium and Loyola Field House, and from 1975 they played in the Louisiana Superdome, now the Caesars Superdome.
Why did the Jazz leave New Orleans?
Arena trouble, mostly. The Superdome was in high demand, the lease terms were onerous, New Orleans charged an 11% amusement tax, and Mardi Gras pushed the team onto the road for about a month every year. Owner Sam Battistone decided the team was no longer viable there and chose Salt Lake City, former home of the ABA’s Utah Stars. The move was approved so late, in June 1979, that there was no time to change the name.
How many arenas have the Jazz had?
Five: Loyola Field House and the Municipal Auditorium (both 1974–1975), the Louisiana Superdome (1975–1979), the Salt Palace (1979–1991) and the Delta Center (1991–present). The current arena was called EnergySolutions Arena, Vivint Smart Home Arena and Vivint Arena between 2006 and 2023 before going back to its original name.
Is the Salt Palace still standing?
No. The arena was demolished in 1994, three years after the Jazz moved out, and the Salt Palace Convention Center now stands on the site. In New Orleans, Loyola Field House was torn down in 1986, and the Municipal Auditorium has sat empty since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Where do the Jazz play now?
At the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, which seats 18,186 for basketball. Larry H. Miller financed it privately and it opened in 1991; it hosted the Jazz’s two NBA Finals, in 1997 and 1998, and figure skating at the 2002 Winter Olympics. Since 2024 it has also been home to the NHL’s Utah Mammoth.