Dear Huntsman Center Staff,

Congratulations to the women’s and men’s basketball teams on great seasons! I have been attending Utah basketball games for over 47 years, literally since before I was born. Indeed, my family (going back to my grandparents, who have now passed) has had the same seats since the very first game played in the stadium. When I was younger, I attended most home men’s basketball games. I’ve now moved out of state, and I only attend a few times a year when I happen to be in town visiting family. I have noticed, though, a considerable change in the Huntsman Center’s energy and atmosphere, one that its staff’s decisions about sponsorship have not helped.

There are often times when the Utes have some momentum. They make a run, the crowd gets into the game, and things start to get exciting. Usually, the opposing coach then calls a timeout. 20 years ago, that timeout would have been immediately followed by the band playing the fight song. It got people on their feet, carried the momentum into the timeout, extended the energy, and helped the team by keeping the crowd involved.

Now, however, as soon as that timeout is called, the emcee grabs the microphone and launches into some stupid, and sponsored, game. It immediately puts a heavy, wet blanket over the crowd’s energy, and does exactly what the opposing coach was hoping for — namely, take the crowd out of the game.

A perfect example of this was last year’s men’s home game against the Oregon Ducks in the 2022-2023 season. We were making a second-half run, the Ducks called a timeout, and rather than build the energy with the fight song, the emcee killed it with some dumb, sponsored game. It ruined the experience for me, and I’m sure it didn’t help the home team. I’ve seen that in subsequent games this season (the Aizona games come to mind), but that one in particular stands out.

We ended up losing that Oregon game — one we very well could have won. I don’t know if getting rid of the emcee’s game at that point would have made a critical difference, but taking the crowd out of the basketball game by having the emcee interrupt the flow and killing the energy certainly didn’t help the situation.

There is more than enough time during the typical timeout to run the emcee’s game (and earn the sponsorship money) after the fight song plays. Indeed, during the Oregon game, the band did play a song (although not the fight song) right after the sponsored game finished. I can’t understand why your staff doesn’t choose to play the song first, extend the momentum into the timeout by another 20-30 seconds, and then take the sponsorship dollars.

We have historically had one of the best home crowds in the conference, whether that was the WAC, the MWC, or the PAC12. Open your eyes, take your heads out of your wallets, and pay attention to your surroundings. See how your decisions affect the crowd, the team, and the energy in the building. See what the school’s own sponsorship deals are doing to take away a huge advantage. Be part of the team, rather than a way to help the opposing coach’s tactics.

– Charles Wentworth, 2001 University of Utah History Graduate, Juris Doctor 2004