Lone Peak’s Ada Villarreal (8) controls the ball during the first half of the girls 6A soccer state championship game against Syracuse at America First Field in Sandy on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025. Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
Another big sports year in Utah is just about in the books and with that comes our look back at some of our favorite sports photos of 2025.
Sports fans in the Beehive State had plenty to celebrate from start to finish.
From the announcement of the new name for Utah’s first ever NHL team, the Utah Mammoth, and Miller Sports and Entertainment taking over Real Salt Lake, to an action-packed high school sports year up and down the state, there were many thrilling moments as well and some heartbreaking defeats.
BYU fans celebrated another dominant football season which includes an appearance in the Pop-Tarts Bowl on Dec. 27, thanks in part to true freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier. Cougar Nation enjoyed watching their men’s basketball team make a March Madness run to the Sweet 16 early in the year, then welcoming highly recruited basketball player AJ Dybantsa this fall.
Another bright spot in BYU sports was the emerging cross-country running star in BYU freshman Jane Hedengren finishing second at the NCAA’s in November.
Utes fans had reason to celebrate as well with a good run in the NCAA Gymnastics Championships and Kyle Whittingham’s final football season going 10-2 with a Las Vegas Bowl appearance scheduled on New Year’s Eve.
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Other college and junior college squads enjoyed breakout seasons as well.
Young Utah athletes enjoyed success as well, with state championships awarded in more than 20 different sports and competitions. As many as 100,000 Utah student-athletes participated in competition in 2025.
No matter what the sport, our Deseret News staff and freelance photojournalists had you covered.
So enjoy our top 40 sports images of 2025.
A New York Rangers fan gives a young Rangers fan a puck that flew out of bounds during an NHL game against the Utah Hockey Club held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
Utah’s Grace McCallum performs on the bars as BYU and Utah compete at the Marriott Center in Provo on Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
Hillcrest High School drill team members celebrate after winning first place in the show category at UHSAA 4A State Drill Team Finals at UCCU Center in Orem on Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
Richfield fans cheer as Richfield’s Sydnei Christensen competes against Juab’s Morgan Holdaway in the 155-pound Round 2 matches at the 3A wrestling state championships at Utah Valley University in Orem on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
Lone Peak swimmers celebrate with a backflip after winning the 6A girls swimming state championships at the Stephen L. Richards Building on Brigham Young University's campus in Provo on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
Utah Hockey Club center Jack McBain (22) and Tampa Bay Lightning center Zemgus Girgensons (28) engage in a fight during an NHL game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, March 22, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
Farmington’s Molli Bell’s stick breaks as she tries to pass the ball as her team plays Olympus in Lacrosse in Holladay on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
Brigham Young Cougars guards Dawson Baker (25) and Dallin Hall (30) hug after losing an NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Thursday, March 27, 2025. BYU lost 113-88. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
Utah’s Avery Neff celebrates after performing on the bars as Utah competes in the NCAA regional semifinals for gymnastics at the Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, April 3, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
Girls compete in their heat of the 1,600-meter race during the PACS BYU Invitational high school meet held at the Clarence F. Robison Track and Field Complex in Provo on Saturday, May 3, 2025. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
Corner Canyon’s Porter Curtis goes high for a spike as Corner Canyon and Bingham play in the 6A volleyball tournament in the UCCU Center at UVU in Orem on Friday, May 9, 2025. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
Maeser Prep Academy Lions' Jack Stevenson (16) falls after losing control of the ball in the 2A boys soccer state championship against the American Heritage Patriots at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, May 10, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
Desert Hills' Bailey Lee (17) beats the tag by Bear River second baseman Bella Dougals (12) to successfully steal second base during the second game of the championship series in the 4A high school softball state tournament at Gail Miller Field in Provo on Friday, May 16, 2025. Desert Hills won the game 3-1, tying the series at 1-1 and forcing a third and final game to decide the championship. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
Bear River’s Marley Tisdol, center, celebrates with her teammates after her sacrifice fly allowed Aubree Fry to score and defeat Desert Hills in extra innings during the final game of the championship series in the 4A high school softball state tournament held at Miller Park in Provo on Friday, May 16, 2025. Bear River won the game 3-2 in eight innings to take the series 2-1. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
American Fork infielder Harry Gardner (7) celebrates his run to make the score 10-0 in the fifth inning and causing American Fork to defeat Lehi by mercy rule during the first game of the championship series in the 6A high school baseball state tournament held at UCCU Ballpark on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem on Friday, May 23, 2025. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
Crimson Cliffs’ Bitner Mitchell gets the ball past Dixie goalkeeper Mason Randolph to score a goal during the boys 6A state soccer championship game at America First Field in Sandy on Thursday, May 22, 2025. Crimson Cliffs won 3-0. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
Riverton head coach Whitley Haimin is splashed with water by Maycee Madsen (16) and other teammates as they celebrate their victory in the 6A softball state championship series between Riverton and Bingham at Miller Park Complex at BYU in Provo on Friday, May 23, 2025. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News
American Fork's Cash Taiese (31) celebrates after American Fork scored five runs in the sixth inning against the Lehi Pioneers during Game 2 in the high school boys 6A baseball state championship series held at Utah Valley University in Orem on Saturday, May 24, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
Deseret News Marathon competitors climb a hill in Salt Lake County’s Emigration Canyon on Thursday, July 24, 2025. The Deseret News Marathon begins at the top of Big Mountain above Emigration Canyon, descending a 3,200 foot total elevation drop. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News
Club America’s Igor Lichnosky and Real Salt Lake’s William Agada battle for the ball as they play in the Leagues Cup Phase One at America First Field in Sandy on Wednesday, July 30, 2025. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
A rodeo rider participates in the bareback competition during the Western Night Rodeo at the Utah County Fair in Spanish Fork on Thursday, July 31, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
The Davis Darts compete against the Brighton Bengals in a football game at Cottonwood Heights on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
Runners collapse after competing in the Timpanogos Invitational boys cross country meet at Lakeside Sports Park in Orem on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
Springville’s Stafford Small (9) throws down Provo’s Malik Filimoeatu (24) at Provo High on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News
Corner Canyon linebacker Mason Wood (1) gathers himself before a football game between the Corner Canyon Chargers and the Liberty Lions (Peoria, Ariz.) held at Corner Canyon High School in Draper on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
Lone Peak’s Noah Goeckeritz gathers himself before a putt during the 6A high school boy’s golf state championship held at The Links at Sleepy Ridge in Orem on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
American Heritage’s Grace Davis reacts after losing a point during the girls 3A tennis championships first doubles semifinal at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier (47) hurdles Utah safety Jackson Bennee (23) during a run as BYU and Utah play at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
Utah Mammoth center Logan Cooley (92) gets checked into the glass by Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrňák (88) as the Mammoth and Bruins play at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
BYU forward AJ Dybantsa (3) high-fives fans as he exits the floor after the Cougars defeated the North Carolina Tar Heels during an NCAA men’s basketball exhibition game held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
Waterford goalkeeper Jessica Miller (16) celebrates with her teammates after they defeated American Heritage in an overtime shootout during the 2A girls soccer state championship game held at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
Rich’s Ashlyn Eborn warms up before the girls 1A volleyball state championship game against Panguitch at the UCCU Center in Orem on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
Delta’s Daijah Willoughby, celebrates during a match against Union in the 3A volleyball state tournament in the UCCU Center at Utah Valley University in Orem on Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
Corner Canyon celebrates after winning the 6A girls volleyball state championship against Skyridge at the UCCU Center at Utah Valley University in Orem on Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
West’s King Long (7) defends Bountiful’s Max Feller (17) as a pass falls out of his reach during the 5A quarterfinal game at West High School in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
BYU Cougars quarterback Bear Bachmeier (47) is driven to the ground by Texas Tech Red Raiders safety Cole Wisniewski (5) as they play at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas, on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
BYU freshman Jane Hedengren, left, hugs teammate Riley Chamberlain (142) as they recover after Hedengren finished second behind Doris Lemngole of Alabama and Chamberlain finished fourth at the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships at Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia, Mo., on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. | Robert Cohen for the Deseret New
Seattle Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour (62) dives to try and stop an empty net goal during the third period of an NHL game against the Utah Mammoth at Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Dec. 12, 2025. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
Utah State Aggies quarterback Bryson Barnes (16) hugs his wife Brittlyn after getting injured and leaving the game during the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in Boise on Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. | Jeffrey D. Allred for the Deseret News
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