Salt Lake City has become a significant hub for Ryan Smith, the owner of the Utah Jazz, who recently acquired the former Arizona Phoenix NHL team for $1.2 billion. This move includes relocating the team and its staff to Salt Lake City, thereby expanding the city’s sports landscape to include two major teams from the United States’ “big four” leagues: the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Hockey League (NHL).
With ownership of the Jazz and the newly acquired NHL team, Smith’s sports portfolio extends beyond these two major teams. Notably, he also possesses the Utah Jazz’s G-League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars, and the Salt Lake City Bees minor league baseball team, acquired as part of the Jazz ownership purchase. However, uncertainty looms over the Bees’ future as they currently serve as the Triple-A team for the Oakland A’s.
In addition to basketball and baseball ventures, Smith has invested in soccer, owning three significant teams in the state: Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer (MLS), their minor league counterpart, the Real Monarchs of MLS Next Pro, and the Utah Royals of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). Despite a period of inactivity, the Utah Royals were reinstated in 2024 under Smith’s ownership.
Beyond these teams, Smith also holds ownership of the Delta Center arena, home to the Jazz and the Salt Lake Hockey Club, as well as America First Field, where Real Salt Lake and the Monarchs play, along with Zions Bank Stadium, the home ground for the Real Monarchs.
However, it’s worth noting that Smith’s ownership does not encompass all major or minor teams in Utah. The Utah Warriors of Major League Rugby (MLR), the Utah Archers of the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL), the Utah Grizzlies of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL), and the Ogden Raptors of the Pioneer Baseball League continue to operate independently of Smith’s ownership.