Basketball

As part of downtown Salt Lake City's eventual transformation, the home of the Utah Jazz and the Utah Hockey Club is working on the first phase of arena renovations.

Saunders is a descendant of the man who invented tater tots. He has cashed in with a endorsement deal that dishes out the crispy sides for free when BYU wins in the NCAA Tournament.

There are no firm designs nor a location, but Ute Athletics Director Mark Harlan called the idea “a fantastic opportunity for this athletic department to modernize.”

Jensen, who was the top target for the Utes, replaces Craig Smith, who was fired in late February during his fourth season at Utah.

The University of Utah fired men’s basketball coach Craig Smith a day after a 76-72 loss at Central Florida that dropped the Utes to 15-12 this season. Smith was in his fourth season in charge of the program.

According to online video, fans can be heard yelling a profane phrase directed at Mormons as the teams were leaving the court following the basketball team’s 96-95 loss to BYU on Saturday night.

Writer and director Sydney Freeland hopes Native audiences see themselves in her basketball tale of tragedy and triumph.

Gonzaga become the eighth member along with holdovers Washington State and Oregon State, and fellow newcomers Boise State, San Diego State, Fresno State, Utah State and Colorado State. Adding Gonzaga still leaves the Pac-12 in need of another football-playing member for CFP purposes.

The school announced the 51-year-old Pope’s hiring in a release on Friday morning but did not mention any contract details. Pope replaces Calipari, a Hall of Famer who took Kentucky to its eighth NCAA title in 2012.

The Coeur d’Alene Police Department says it's working to determine the “context and conduct” associated with the slur's use to determine if there was a violation of law.

The ugly incident of racism involving the Utah team while they stayed in Idaho has raised questions about how the NCAA selects early-round campus tournament sites, which are not locked in until Selection Sunday while the men's sites — at neutral locations — are chosen years in advance.

Utah coach Lynne Roberts revealed the incidents, and the fact the team changed hotels out of safety concerns, after Utah lost to Gonzaga in the second round of the NCAAs.