SALT LAKE CITY- (June 17, 2010) The University of Utah’s acceptance of an invitation to join the Pac-10 Conference is a boost to our state and a tribute to an outstanding institution of higher education. The Salt Lake Chamber enthusiastically supports the move and extends sincere congratulations to the University.

 

Through athletic excellence, particularly in football with victories in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl and the 2009 Sugar Bowl, the Utes have demonstrated they deserve to play among the best programs in the nation.

 

The additional recognition that comes from playing in a Bowl Championship Series Conference will have far-reaching benefits for the University and for our state. Already known as the host city of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, the home of the Greatest Snow on Earth and the headquarters of a worldwide religion, millions will now recognize Utah as the home of top-notch college athletics. 

 

Already one of the top 100 universities in the world, and having produced three Nobel Prize winners thus far, the University of Utah will further enhance the academic status of a conference that boasts world-renowned schools such as Stanford, the University of California Los Angeles and the University of California. Berkley.  

 

As Utah’s business leader and through our strategic partnership with the Downtown Alliance, we reaffirm our commitment to further establish downtown Salt Lake City as the “Home of the Utes” and we look forward to cheering on the U football program by “painting the town red” with Utah pride.  

 

Businesses are attracted to Utah by our unsurpassed natural beauty, business friendly policies, a first-class transportation system, the lowest energy rates in the nation and a well-educated workforce. The addition of Pac-10 football is yet another feather in our state’s cap as we enhance our unmatched quality of life.

 

About the Chamber
The Salt Lake Chamber is Utah’s largest statewide business association and Utah’s Business Leader. With roots that date back to 1887, the Chamber has been standing as the voice of business, supporting its members’ success and championing community prosperity for over 100 years. The Chamber represents 6,100 businesses statewide and one in every three jobs in the Utah economy.  Chamber strategic partners include the Downtown Alliance and World Trade Center Utah.