The Jazz will remain in Salt Lake City for “generations to come,” as owner Gail Miller announced the team’s ownership and arena would be moved to a legacy trust. The legacy trust will be “managed by current and future generations of the Miller family,” the Jazz announced through its team website.
“As a family, we have always considered the Utah Jazz a community asset and it has been our privilege to serve as stewards of this team for more than 30 years,” Miller said at a press conference on Monday. “There have been many opportunities to sell and move the franchise, but from the day Larry and I purchased the Jazz our goal was to keep the team in Utah. The Legacy Trust will help to ensure this commitment is kept for generations to come.”
The Jazz moved from New Orleans to Utah in 1979, winning eight division titles from that point on. The Jazz have been subject to relocation rumors in recent years, but Monday’s announcement will quash those discussions for the foreseeable future.
As noted by The Associated Press (link via ESPN.com), this is believed to be the first legacy trust for a professional franchise in any of the four major U.S. leagues.
From a Celtics fan, my hat’s off to the Miller family on this one. In this era of franchises relocating due to lack of municipal welfare (ie. public money for stadiums/arenas/ballparks), it’s good to see a sports franchise committing to it’s community long term…in a smaller market no less. Good stuff.
This is cool