SALT LAKE CITY — The group hoping to bring a Major League Baseball team to Utah has added some heavy hitters to an advisory board that will help a franchise slide into Salt Lake City.
Big League Utah announced it has created two advisory boards to guide efforts in acquiring a team.
Gov. Spencer Cox will join other elected leaders such as Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall and Senate President J. Stuart Adams on the honorary advisory board led by Gail Miller.
During his monthly news conference, Cox said he liked Utah's chances at landing a team.
“Utah has the ingredients for an MLB team, including a ready market, a proven and focused ownership group, a shovel-ready site at the Power District, and a bi-partisan coalition. Third-party data proves Salt Lake City and the Beehive State can absolutely support a new professional sports team," said Cox in a statement.
Meanwhile, dozens of local business leaders will make up a community advisory board.
The hope is that both advisory boards will help advance efforts to bring baseball to the Wasatch Front.
"We know this could be a multi-year effort, but we’re off to a great start and are encouraged that so many are seeing Salt Lake City as a major league market,” said Steve Starks, CEO of the Larry H. Miller Company. “Like securing the return of the Winter Olympic Games, these big-vision projects don’t happen without close collaboration and teamwork—hallmarks of our community.”
In addition to the advisory board announcement, Big League Utah once again shared its desire to build a new stadium in the Rocky Mountain Power District just west of downtown.
"The Power District is perfectly located as a connector between people, businesses and sports in our capital city. The potential and responsibility to be a catalyst in this community belongs to all of us,” added Steve Miller, Chairman of the Larry H. Miller Company.
Since Big League Utah first announced its intentions in the spring to get a team to the Wasatch Front, many experts have said that Salt Lake City is one of the frontrunners to be awarded an expansion franchise.
Officials have yet to set a timetable on when Major League Baseball will announce expansion and which cities will get teams.
