The University of Utah will get a long-sought video screen for its Rice-Eccles Stadium scoreboard, and Utah Jazz owner Larry H. Miller will make a donation to the school. Those subjects, most likely related, will be discussed at a 3 p.m. news conference today at the stadium.
Jazz vice president of public relations David Allred confirmed Sunday that Miller is to be part of this afternoon's press conference, and, "he is supposed to announce a donation to the University of Utah." Allred said he did not know the purpose of the donation.
Other sources within the university, unofficial but knowledgeable, have said that today's announcement will be about a new video screen to be installed at Rice-Eccles.
Utah football crowds have longed for a video screen with replays. With a new attendance drive and a new football coaching staff promising an exciting, high-scoring brand of football, such a video toy would certainly help boost interest.
Official Utah attendance for the 2002 season was 177,147 — an average of 35,429 tickets sold. But actual bodies in the stands was far below that, perhaps by 10,000 or so, except for the BYU game (45,167).