. The arena was originally imagined as a 20,000-seat home for the
Utah Jazz and
Salt Lake Golden Eagles to replace the since-demolished
Salt Palace arena, which had 12,616 seats. Under the leadership and private financing of Utah businessman
Larry H. Miller, ground was broken on May 22, 1990, and it was completed on October 4, 1991, in time for late-October basketball games, at a cost of 93 million ( in dollars). Naming rights to the arena would be acquired by
Delta Air Lines, naming it Delta Center. The first game played in the arena was a Golden Eagles game against the
Peoria Rivermen on October 16, 1991, which the home team lost 4–2. The Eagles had also played the inaugural game in the
Salt Palace arena when it opened on October 10, 1969. The Delta Center hosted its first concert on October 24, 1991, headlined by
Oingo Boingo. The first basketball game played in the arena was a Jazz pre-season loss against the
New York Knicks, 101–95. The first regular season game for the Jazz was a 103–95 loss to the
Seattle SuperSonics on November 7, 1991. In addition to the Utah Jazz and Blaze, the arena was the home of the
WNBA's
Utah Starzz from 1997 to 2002, the
Salt Lake Golden Eagles from 1991 to 1994, and the
Utah Grizzlies from 1995 to 1997, both of the
International Hockey League. On June 8, 1996, the Delta Center hosted what was then the largest crowd in the history of American minor league hockey: 17,381 fans attended game four of the 1996
Turner Cup Finals. The arena's roof was damaged by severe winds associated with the
Salt Lake City Tornado of August 11, 1999, costing 3.757million to repair.
Dan Roberts served as the
public address announcer for the Jazz, since before the arena was built, before he retired in April 2025. In 2006, amid the company's bankruptcy, Delta declined to renew its naming rights. The new name was unveiled November 20, prior to the Jazz's home game against the
Toronto Raptors. Two stickers were placed on the court, covering up the arena's old name with the new one. Initial fan reactions to the new name were predominantly negative, leading to calls for the Jazz to re-evaluate the agreement, and the arena receiving fan nicknames mocking EnergySolutions' radioactive and hazardous waste disposal operations (such as "the
Chernobowl", "the Dump", "the
Fallout Shelter", "
Half-Life Arena", "Jazz
Mat", "
Radium Stadium", and "the Tox Box"). Team owner
Larry H. Miller defended the deal, considering the naming rights "a winner". On October 26, 2015, the naming rights were acquired by the
Lehi-based home security and automation provider
Vivint under a ten-year contract. On September 21, 2016, the Jazz announced plans to renovate and upgrade the arena. The majority of the construction related to the building's renovation, which cost 125 million. The construction began at the conclusion of the
2016–17 Utah Jazz basketball season and was completed during fall 2017. In December 2020,
Ryan Smith acquired the Jazz and arena from the
Miller family (now
Miller Sports + Entertainment). On January 14, 2023, Delta announced it would return as naming rights sponsor under a ten-year deal effective July 1, returning to the Delta Center name. After the official announcement of the Utah Hockey Club, NHL commissioner
Gary Bettman announced that the Delta Center will undergo further renovations within the next two seasons which will increase unobstructed seats from to in hockey configuration. The first regular season Mammoth game took place on October 8, 2024, with the team defeating the visiting
Chicago Blackhawks 5–2. The game was played in front of 16,020. The first Mammoth playoff home game took place on April 24, 2026, with the team defeated the visiting
Vegas Golden Knights 4–2 in front of 12,478. Smith secured 900 million in funding for renovations to Delta Center and the construction of a surrounding sports and entertainment district. The renovations — which account for 525 million of this total — began in April 2025 and are expected to continue until October 2027. The renovations began after the team's final home game of their inaugural season with the full reconstruction of the lower bowl: adding new risers to maintain the proximity to the playing surface and eliminate all single-goal/partial-view seats in the lower bowl in hockey configuration, lengthen the bowl on each end by , and raise the playing surface by . Renovations also included the foundational work on the new parking structure, to be used by premium season-ticket holders, installation of four new dehumidifiers to maintain ice quality year-round, adding new premium areas on the main floor, and increasing restroom capacity by 12 percent. This first phase was completed in time for the Mammoth's preseason opener on October 2, 2025. The second phase, a renovation of the north-facing upper bowl seats and its associated suites and clubs and the completion of the premium parking structure, began after the conclusion of the Mammoth’s second season on May 4, 2026, following their elimination in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The third phase, focusing on the south-facing upper-bowl seats, clubs, and suites, a new scoreboard and ribbon, and a further expansion of the east-facing concourse area and plaza to allow for watch parties and other fan-centered festivities, is slated to begin following the 2026-27 season. == Recognition ==