The Utah Mammoth Ice Center opened last year at the Shops at South Town in Sandy. The Utah Jazz practice facility under construction there is aiming for a 2027 opening.
And perhaps fittingly, Smith Entertainment Group and Intermountain Health plan to open a state-of-the-art sports medicine center on the complex the following year, not only to treat professional athletes but youth competitors and weekend warriors as well.
SEG chairman and CEO Ryan Smith announced the project at a press conference Wednesday, saying the sports campus is unlike anything in the NBA and NHL.
“To say this is different would be an understatement. Just having two facilities together in sports is very, very unique, almost nowhere has it been done like this,” he said.
As part of the partnership, Intermountain Health will become the official healthcare provider for the Jazz and the Mammoth starting July 1. Select Health will become the exclusive health insurance for both teams.
Competitive advantage
According to the company, the planned Intermountain Health Sports Performance Center will be the only sports and health campus in the NBA and NHL with two teams under one ownership group and one healthcare provider.
“Having a single ownership group and a single healthcare provider across both teams will allow us to innovate, share best practices, and build toward the integrated care that is the future and continue to invest in proactive care, health, and longevity for our teams and the community,” Smith said in a press release.
“Partnering with Intermountain Health on this campus is one more important step in creating Utah as a destination market for professional athletes and our ability to serve the community at large.”
SEG said integrating the sports medicine center with the practice facilities creates a “unique competitive advantage” for the Jazz and Mammoth.
Intermountain Health and SEG say the expanding sports campus will attract both talented doctors and athletes.
“I think it will draw people for many reasons but whatever reason they come to Utah whether it’s to be a professional athlete, whether it’s to be Olympic-related, whether it’s college, high school, just family and the beautiful things that we have here,” Allen said. “These facilities and this partnership will add to the richness of what Utah has to offer for everyone who wants to go.”
Access for all athletes
The 60,000 square-foot facility scheduled to open in 2028 will offer comprehensive clinical services such as primary care, sports medicine, orthopedics, physical medicine and rehabilitation, along with sports performance science, performance therapy, advanced diagnostics and imaging, and an orthopedic ambulatory surgery center, according to SEG.
Smith said sports the medicine center will be “wall-to-wall” with the Jazz practice facility and close to Mammoth ice sheet. An athlete “can just walk right next door and get an MRI, hopefully not too often,” he said.
“Caring for these athletes extends our mission and reflects the expertise and support our caregivers provide daily to patients and families across our communities,” Rob Allen, president and CEO of Intermountain Health, said in the press release.
“Our sports medicine teams will work alongside the Jazz and Mammoth organizations to provide innovative, connected care aimed at helping each player perform safely and at their best. This same trusted expertise is here for athletes at every level, as well as for all those seeking our care and support.”
Allen said at the press conference that the partnership with SEG will create “cutting-edge evolution” in health and wellness and will help athletes avoid injury and recover quicker when they do get hurt.
“We’re excited as we move forward that this high benchmark will create a long-lasting impact on the state and on the region and it will further establish Utah as the destination for sports performance, health and innovation, wellness and activity,” he said.
SEG acquired the 111-acre Shops at South Town in 2024. To date, it has developed about 10% of the property, including the planned sports medicine center. It intends to transform the site into a destination for sports, entertainment, gathering and community events.
