Returner Profiles - of College Football Games

THE UTAH EXPERIENCE
Great Weather
U t a h F o o t b a l l
Salt Lake City
• 237 days of sunshine per year
• 15 percent humidity average
Average Temperature Highs
August 91
September 80
October 66
November 50
December 38
January 36
February 42
March 51
April 61
May 72
June 84
July 93
Karl Malone led the Utah Jazz to
two NBA Finals and earned two
MVP awards before retiring in
2005.
S
38 2 0 0 7 m e d i a G U i d e
alt Lake City, home to the University
of Utah, merges the amenities of a
major metropolitan area with beautiful natural
surroundings. With 181,743 residents, Salt
Lake City is the largest city in the state and
its metro population of 1,333,914 ranks
36th in the nation. However, Salt Lake City
maintains the charm of a small western city.
Scenery, location, and cultural and recreational
opportunities help Salt Lake draw major events
like the 2002 Winter Olympic Games.
One of the most beautiful cities in the world,
Salt Lake City offers majestic views in all directions.
To the east are the 11,500-foot peaks of the Wasatch
Mountains (“mountains of many waters,” as named by
the Paiute Indians), which are part
of the Rocky Mountain range. To the
west soar the Oquirrh Mountains
(pronounced Oaker and meaning
“the shining mountains”). The
lowest point within the boundaries
of the city is 4,210 feet near the
Great Salt Lake, and the highest
is Grandview Peak, at
9,410 feet. The Great Salt
Lake—which is 48 miles wide
and 90 miles long—ranks as
the world’s second largest
saltwater lake and the largest
lake in the western United
States.
Its unique geography is
just one of Salt Lake City’s
many impressive elements. Salt Lake City
boasts the nation’s highest literacy rate, highest
percentage of high school graduates and highestpercentage
of college-educated people.
National and international business
magazines have described Salt Lake City’s
economy as “visionary, vibrant and vigorous.”
City and State, which is published for local
government officials, ranked Salt Lake No.
1 among 195 cities in terms of economic
strength. Salt Lake is the financial, educational,
distribution, warehousing, commercial, cultural
and communications hub of the Intermountain region.
It is the center to world-renowned medical and
technological industries.
Tourism is also a huge economic boon to the
state, with the travel and tourism-related industries
providing over 112,000 jobs. Many of those are
associated with the eight world-class ski resorts located
less than 40 miles from downtown Salt Lake.
Cultural and ethnic activities flourish in Salt Lake
City. Downtown is home to art galleries, professional
symphony, opera, theater and dance. It is a stopover for
numerous Broadway shows, as well as ethnic festivals
throughout the year. Some of the annual cultural events
are the Blues Festival, Greek Festival, Hispanic Fiesta
Days, Bluegrass Festival and Living Traditions Festival.
Salt Lake City also joins forces with the nearby
resort town of Park City, Utah, to host the annual
Sundance Film Festival. Sundance is the largest
independent film festival in the United States and
attracts movie stars, celebrities, and thousands of film
buffs to the area every year.
Professional sports provide yet another source of
entertainment. Professional franchises in Salt Lake City
include the Utah Jazz of the NBA, Real Salt Lake (Major
League Soccer) and the Utah Blaze (Arena Football
League). Other pro franchises in the city are the Salt
Lake Bees (AAA baseball) and the Utah Grizzlies
(hockey).
Recreational opportunities abound and 10 national
parks are a day’s drive from Salt Lake City. Fly fishing,
backpacking, mountain biking and river running are a
part of life in Salt Lake City. With four distinct seasons,
a humidity average of 15 percent and mostly sunny
days, Salt Lake City offers pleasant weather conditions
year round.
Salt Lake City’s charms are easily accessible
even to those from out of state. Salt Lake International
Airport is situated within a two and a half-hour flight
of half of the United States’ population. There are over
800 scheduled daily flights serving more than 100 cities
with non-stop flights. The airport is located just 15
minutes from the University of Utah.
Ten national parks are within a few hours’ drive of Salt
Lake City.