Jazz Begin 41St Season in Utah
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st Jazz Begin 41 Season in Utah Enhancements to fan experience include pregame courtside DJ, new dining options SALT LAKE CITY (October 22, 2019) – In preparation for the 41st season of NBA basketball in Utah, the Jazz today announced enhancements to the fan experience ahead of the 2019- 20 season, which begins with the home opener on Wednesday, Oct. 23 vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder at 7 p.m. (MT). The Jazz, who have sold out 74 consecutive games, welcome fans back to Vivint Smart Home Arena following a 50-win campaign in 2018-19 and the team’s third consecutive postseason appearance. The Jazz feature 10 new additions to the Opening Night roster this season, who join returning players Tony Bradley, Danté Exum, Rudy Gobert, Joe Ingles, Donovan Mitchell, Georges Niang and Royce O’Neale. The team will wear their purple mountain Classic Edition uniforms for a total of 15 games this season, including 11 times at home. A new addition in 2019-20 includes an accompanying Classic ’90s-era court to fully connect today’s Jazz players to a highly successful and celebrated era in team history. The Jazz will debut their new threads and hardwood on Saturday, Oct. 26 vs. Sacramento. AT&T SportsNet returns as the official TV home of the Jazz for the 2019-20 campaign. Last season, local Jazz television broadcasts on AT&T SportsNet rated among the top three in the NBA. Additionally, the Jazz will be featured on national television 25 times this season. The Jazz and Qualtrics recently announced an extension of their relationship, with Qualtrics continuing to donate the jersey patch to its charity, 5 For The Fight, through the 2022-23 season. The only cause-related jersey patch in the NBA, 5 For The Fight is the global campaign inviting everyone to donate $5 for the fight against cancer. The team will hold two “5 For The Fight” nights this season to call attention to the cause, with the first slated for Wednesday, Oct. 30 vs. the LA Clippers. Additional theme nights include “Autism Awareness Night” in partnership with Vivint Smart Home and Vivint Gives Back in March, “Hoops for Troops Night” in November and games spotlighting Season of Giving, Black History Month, International Women’s Day, NBA FIT Week and more. Enhancements to the Vivint Smart Home Arena atmosphere for all Jazz home games include lasers and haze machines, and a live DJ will be stationed courtside pregame. Extra Utah Jazz Team Store locations have been added to the main and upper concourse, and more games including pop-a-shot, foosball and cornhole have been placed throughout the Ford Fan Zones on Level 6. Vivint Smart Home Arena also welcomes a new executive chef, Travis Taylor, who oversees a menu that includes signature dining destinations created solely for the arena. Taylor brings culinary experience from some of the sports world’s iconic venues and events, including the Indianapolis 500, US Open Tennis Championship, Super Bowls and NBA All-Star games. Additional dining options at Vivint Smart Home Arena include South Temple Sandwich Co., Float On and Totally Nutz. Chick-fil-A will now prepare its iconic nuggets, waffle fries and hand-spun milkshakes fresh on-site. New this season, the Chick-fil-A “Fowl Shot” promotion has expanded to the entire state of Utah. If an opposing player misses two consecutive free throws in the fourth quarter of a Jazz home game, fans across the state will be able to claim a free Chick-fil-A® Chicken Sandwich through the Chick-fil-A app. The ability to claim the reward will activate the next day following the Jazz game (except Sunday, where it will roll over to Monday). The reward will be available for 48 hours in the app and the free item must be redeemed at any Utah Chick-fil-A restaurant (excluding the Vivint Smart Home Arena location) within five business days. Awarded exclusively through Chick-fil-A One™, the Chick-fil-A app is the only way to claim and redeem the offer. Entering its second year, Little Caesars remains the presenting sponsor of the “Jazz Win…You Win” promotion the day after every Jazz victory, home and away. Fans who order one custom round multi-topping pizza through the Little Caesars mobile app or online will receive a free large EXTRAMOSTBESTEST pepperoni pizza by using the “UTAHJAZZ” promo code the day following a Jazz win. Vivint Smart Home Arena and its dining partner Salted Honey Hospitality have begun the transition to a cash-free environment for food and beverage purchases to speed up concession lines and get customers back to the action quicker. Select locations on the main and upper concourses will only accept credit, debit and prepaid cards, Jazz Notes, Utah Jazz + Vivint Arena app digital wallet, loaded tickets and food vouchers for sales during events. Five cash-to-card kiosks are located throughout the Toyota Club as well as the main and upper concourses to help guests convert cash to a Mastercard prepaid debit card. There is no fee to use the machines and the prepaid cards can be used anywhere inside or outside the arena. In an effort to reduce waste, Vivint Smart Home Arena will no longer provide plastic straws at concession stands beginning with the home opener on Oct. 23. Eco-friendly, biodegradable straws will be available upon request. The venue will deploy compostable and bio- degradable cups as the season progresses. The “Road to Tipoff” presented by KUTV2 News, which culminates with Wednesday’s home opener, included the Jazz’s five preseason games and two community events, which were free and open to the public at Vivint Smart Home Arena. The full Jazz roster hosted fans for on-court basketball activities and party games at the “Meet the Team” event on Friday, Oct. 4, and the organization welcomed the public to the “Purple Mountain Party” on Saturday, Oct. 19 for a first look at the new Classic Edition court and the opportunity to take a photo on the hardwood. About the Utah Jazz Founded as the 18th member of the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1974, and located in Salt Lake City since 1979, the Utah Jazz are committed to excellence as a team and in the community. On the court, the Jazz are the second-winningest team in the NBA over the last 30 years, having won nine division titles and two Western Conference championships along with 16 seasons of 50-plus wins, and are supported by one of the most passionate fan bases in all of sports. Away from the court, the Jazz are very active in the local community and have assisted a multitude of organizations and worthy causes by way of charitable donations, service and grants through Larry H. Miller Charities. The Utah Jazz also operate the Junior Jazz program, the largest and longest-running youth basketball league in the NBA, featuring more than 60,000 players and an additional 13,000 volunteers who take part annually across seven states. For more information on the Utah Jazz, visit www.utahjazz.com. —utahjazz.com— Media Contact: Frank Zang, (801) 325-2570, [email protected] or Matt de Nesnera, (703) 554-5499, [email protected] .