Pac-12 and Maverik Center Announce Multi-Year Partnership to Host Conference Women's Gymnastics Championships

The Pac-12 and West Valley City’s Maverik Center today announced a multi-year partnership that will bring the Conference’s championship event for women’s gymnastics to the venue for the next three seasons, beginning with the 2019 Pac-12 Women’s Gymnastics Championships to be held on March 23, 2019. 

The partnership marks the first ever neutral-site host for the sport’s premiere event.  To support the success of the event, the Utah Sports Commission and Visit Salt Lake will work with the Pac-12 and Maverik Center to provide promotional support and other resources. 

“The Pac-12 is thrilled to bring one of our premiere events to the Salt Lake Valley,” said Pac-12 Senior Associate Commissioner, Sports Management Teresa Gould. “With a rich tradition of excellence across the sport and a strong following among Utah’s community, we look forward to this showcase featuring some of the top gymnasts in the world competing at Maverik Center.”

The venue, which can seat over 9,000 for women’s gymnastics, has hosted numerous marquee events over its 20-year history, including the 2002 Winter Olympics when it was the venue for the Ice Hockey Championships.  The current home for the ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies, an affiliate of the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, the Maverik Center is dedicated to providing superior entertainment in a comfortable, enjoyable setting.   Located in the heart of the Salt Lake Valley in West Valley City, Utah, the site will transform the third weekend in March for each of the next three seasons as the one-day event takes over the Salt Lake community for the Pac-12 championships.  

“The Maverik Center of West Valley City is honored to host the Pac-12 Women’s Gymnastics Championship,” said Maverik Center CEO Kevin Bruder. “Our community looks forward to hosting such an elite and esteemed event.” 

One of the strongest followings of any collegiate women’s sports program, Utah consistently has drawn strong attendance, engagement and interest among the surrounding community.  Commonly referred to as the “Red Rocks,” the Utes’ women’s gymnastics team averaged 15,139 fans per meet last season at the Huntsman Center, leading all NCAA women’s sports in attendance for the eighth time.  For over 25-straight seasons, the program has averaged over 12,000 fans per meet. 

In 2018, Pac-12 women's gymnastics achieved 18 perfect 10's, finished with four teams in the final Top 25 and captured a NCAA title from UCLA, the first national championship for the Pac-12 since the Bruins won the 2010 title.  In an exciting and eventful year, the Conference’s eight programs reached milestones across the board, with seven selected for NCAA Championships.  Utah returns MyKayla Skinner who led the Pac-12 with five Gymnast of the Week honors last season, while reigning Pac-12 champion UCLA returns 2018 Pac-12 Specialist of the Year, Katelyn Ohashi. 

More information on Pac-12 women’s gymnastics is available here at Pac-12.com, with ticket information to be announced and available at Pac-12.com/tickets.  More information on the Maverik Center is available at maverikcenter.com.

About the Pac-12 Conference: The Conference has a tradition as the “Conference of Champions,” leading the nation in NCAA Championships in 52 of the last 58 years, with 513 NCAA team titles overall. The Conference comprises 12 leading U.S. universities - the University of Arizona, Arizona State University, the University of California-Berkeley, the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), the University of Colorado, the University of Oregon, Oregon State University, Stanford University, the University of Southern California, the University of Utah, the University of Washington and Washington State University. For more information on the Conference’s programs, member institutions, and Commissioner Larry Scott, go to Pac-12.com/conference.