When Utah entered the Big 12 Conference in 2024, it had a huge task to tackle.
During its 13 seasons in the Pac-12 Conference, the Pac-12 Network handled television broadcasting duties for sports like gymnastics, baseball and softball.
After the Utes joined the Big 12 Conference following the Pac-12’s demise in the summer of 2023, the production of all events that weren’t picked up by ESPN and Fox networks (all sports aside from football and some men’s basketball games) shifted to Utah’s athletic department.
They had to hit the ground fast in the first year of Big 12 play.
“We had less than a year to develop and plan to produce 50 digital broadcasts for our partners in the first year in the league. Supposed to be 100, I begged for 50. (Big 12 commissioner Brett) Yormark said, ‘Okay, but you’re going to jack it up after that,’” said Utah athletic director Mark Harlan.
In 2024, Utah hired Bill Riley to become its director of broadcasting, managing “Utes Productions” alongside his role broadcasting Ute football and basketball on ESPN 700 radio. Riley’s new role at Utah meant he had to step down from his role as program director at ESPN 700, where he also hosted an afternoon talk show.
Riley is in charge of everything Utah is doing on ESPN+, from hiring and scheduling announcing talent to planning the broadcasts.
While Utah got through the first two seasons producing games for the Big 12 using TV production trucks, the athletic department, led by deputy athletic director Charmelle Green, had its eye on a way that they could improve the experience, both for the production crew and Utah’s fanbase.
Elisabeth Ahlstrom, executive producer at Utes Productions, shows people touring the production control room how to replay footage in the new Utes Productions and Communication Studios during a grand opening event inside the Languages and Communication Building at the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News People tour the production control room in the new Utes Productions and Communication Studios during a grand opening event inside the Languages and Communication Building at the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News People tour the production control room in the new Utes Productions and Communication Studios during a grand opening event inside the Languages and Communication Building at the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News People tour the production control room in the new Utes Productions and Communication Studios during a grand opening event inside the Languages and Communication Building at the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News The audio control room in the new Utes Productions and Communication Studios during a grand opening event inside the Languages and Communication Building at the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News People tour the production control room in the new Utes Productions and Communication Studios during a grand opening event inside the Languages and Communication Building at the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News The isolation room in the new Utes Productions and Communication Studios during a grand opening event inside the Languages and Communication Building at the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News The isolation room in the new Utes Productions and Communication Studios during a grand opening event inside the Languages and Communication Building at the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News Matthew Willmarth, director of big screens, right, speaks to people touring during a grand opening event for the new Utes Productions and Communication Studios inside the Languages and Communication Building at the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News People tour the new Utes Productions and Communication Studios during a grand opening event inside the Languages and Communication Building at the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News The main studio in the new Utes Productions and Communication Studios during a grand opening event inside the Languages and Communication Building at the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News People tour the new Utes Productions and Communication Studios during a grand opening event inside the Languages and Communication Building at the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News Matthew Willmarth, director of big screens, right, speaks to people touring during a grand opening event for the new Utes Productions and Communication Studios inside the Languages and Communication Building at the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News University of Utah staff “light the U” during a grand opening event for the new Utes Productions and Communication Studios inside the Languages and Communication Building at the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News Jeff Labrum, University of Utah chief operating officer, speaks during a grand opening event for the new Utes Productions and Communication Studios inside the Languages and Communication Building at the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News Bill Riley, Utah Athletics director of broadcasting, speaks during a grand opening event for the new Utes Productions and Communication Studios inside the Languages and Communication Building at the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News Elisabeth Ahlstrom, executive producer at Utes Productions, shows people touring the production control room how to replay footage in the new Utes Productions and Communication Studios during a grand opening event inside the Languages and Communication Building at the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News Charmelle Green, deputy athletics director and chief operating officer, center, tours the main studio during a grand opening event for the new Utes Productions and Communication Studios inside the Languages and Communication Building at the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News The equipment checkout room in the new Utes Productions and Communication Studios during a grand opening event inside the Languages and Communication Building at the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News Charmelle Green, deputy athletics director and chief operating officer, center, and others tour the main studio during a grand opening event for the new Utes Productions and Communication Studios inside the Languages and Communication Building at the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News Bill Riley, Utah Athletics director of broadcasting, speaks during a grand opening event for the new Utes Productions and Communication Studios inside the Languages and Communication Building at the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News Wanda Pillow, dean of University of Utah College of Humanities, speaks during a grand opening event for the new Utes Productions and Communication Studios inside the Languages and Communication Building at the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News Cameron Keene, technical manager, looks at a camera in the main studio as he and others tour the new Utes Productions and Communication Studios during a grand opening event inside the Languages and Communication Building at the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News Mark Harlan, University of Utah director of athletics, speaks during a grand opening event for the new Utes Productions and Communication Studios inside the Languages and Communication Building at the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News Mark Harlan, University of Utah director of athletics, speaks during a grand opening event for the new Utes Productions and Communication Studios inside the Languages and Communication Building at the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News Avery Holton, chair of University of Utah Department of Communication, speaks during a grand opening event for the new Utes Productions and Communication Studios inside the Languages and Communication Building at the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News Mark Harlan, University of Utah director of athletics, right, and others clap during a grand opening event for the new Utes Productions and Communication Studios inside the Languages and Communication Building at the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News Natalie Newton, 2026 College of Humanities graduate and Utes productions intern, speaks during a grand opening event for the new Utes Productions and Communication Studios inside the Languages and Communication Building at the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News Natalie Newton, 2026 College of Humanities graduate and Utes productions intern, speaks during a grand opening event for the new Utes Productions and Communication Studios inside the Languages and Communication Building at the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News Avery Holton, Chair of University of Utah Department of Communication, speaks during a grand opening event for the new Utes Productions and Communication Studios inside the Languages and Communication Building at the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret NewsUtah officials feel that they have accomplished that with the opening of the new Utes Productions & Communication Studios inside of the Languages & Communication Building on the school’s campus.
The new multi-room setup inside the LNCO building provides Utah Athletics with a state-of-the-art facility to produce game broadcasts and much, much more.
The new facility houses everything needed for a successful broadcast, including multiple production and control rooms and a TV studio setup.
“We also knew whatever we came up with needed to be high quality for our fans and our supporters that are going to watch all over the world, whatever sport it might be,” Harlan said. “And so we went from being concerned how are we going to beat the deadlines to now being a leader in the space, not only in the conference, but in the country with what we’ve constructed.”
Aside from the ESPN+ broadcasts, the new studios will also house video board production for Rice-Eccles Stadium and the Jon M. Huntsman Center.
The production for those elements was previously housed in a tiny control room in the basement of the Burbidge building near the Huntsman Center.
“We had to bring in fans from Target to keep everything cool,” Harlan said.
The threat of Utah’s video boards going out was always a worry. Now, in the state-of-the-art control room, Utah officials feel a lot better about things.
“This also moves the production of our screens, our in-game production into this studio. It’s been a little rough. It was mentioned by one of the speakers losing sleep. I don’t lose sleep a lot on this job, but our boards going out has been high on the list,” Harlan said.
In addition to its purpose for Utah Athletics, the new production studios will be a huge benefit for communications students. They’ll get hands-on experience during classes with everything that goes into a television broadcast, and some will even play a part in producing ESPN+ broadcasts.
Natalie Newton, a 2026 Utah communications graduate, started as an intern for Utes Productions before being hired full-time at the company.
“I’m so excited that through this venture between the College of Humanities and Utah Athletics, students will have something to bridge the gap between classroom education and hands-on experience, and they will be better prepared to enter the world of sports broadcasting after college,” Newton said.
Utah student-athletes will also join the ranks of interns for Utes Productions, and Harlan said that some recruits have seen the facility already.
“We’ve already seen some interesting results during the recruiting process this last year. Being able to show some of the students and their families on their visits that we’re doing here,” Harlan said. “... I imagine many of them will be interns going forward, just like any other student, and some will probably formulate careers, and so really excited about that too.”
The people producing the ESPN+ broadcasts and video boards will be employees of Utah Athletics, not Crimson Brand Partners, the for-profit entity created as part of Utah’s private equity deal with Otro Capital, but the space could also be used for things under CBP’s purview, like coaches shows and other programming.
“Crimson Brand Partners will be a big part of the development of the brand, right? Whether we do coaches shows and all the things that are tied to further branding outside of an actual production of a contest. So yes, the partnership is great,” Harlan said.
As the Utes begin their third season of Big 12 play, they finally have a space fit to handle production of 100-plus sports broadcasts on ESPN+.
Now it’s time to get to work, starting tonight as Utah women’s soccer hosts Weber State at Ute Field.
“Obviously the thing that was most important is high quality. High quality production for the students that work so hard to compete, coaches, and certainly for our fans,” Harlan said.
Mark Harlan, University of Utah director of athletics, speaks during a grand opening event for the new Utes Productions and Communication Studios inside the Languages and Communication Building at the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
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