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Regarded as one of the top college arenas in the nation since opening its doors in 1969, the Jon M. Huntsman Center has provided an imposing advantage for Utah teams. For a structure that is beginning its 35th year of existence, a feeling of newness still pervades underneath the silver dome. But don't let the pristine picture fool you. As serene as the Huntsman Center may look empty, when the Utes are on the floor and fans are in the stands, the place transforms into a madhouse. The famous "steel cloud," a huge mass of steel and concrete, hangs from the dome's interior and holds the scoreboard, and the public address and lighting systems. Prior to the 1994-95 season, a new electronic scoreboard, featuring four 9x12 foot video display screens, was installed to enhance the JMHC's look even further. The scoreboard provides statistical updates, instant replays and live game action. Before the 2002-03 season, the original playing floor was replaced and the scoreboard video display system was upgraded. Eight high-output, dual-stacked Sharp LCD projectors were installed with a brightness two-and-a-half times better than the previous system. Long recognized as a site of championships, the Huntsman Center played host to the 1979 NCAA Basketball Championship "Dream Match-Up" featuring Indiana State's Larry Bird and Michigan State's Magic Johnson-deemed one of the most successful Final Fours ever held. The men's NCAA regional tournament received a Huntsman Center booking in 1984, '85, and '87, and the NCAA first and second rounds took place in the arena in 1988, '89, '90, '91, '93, '95, '97, 2000 and '03. The JMHC is in second place among the nation's arenas for most NCAA Tournament basketball games hosted, with 75 games having been played in the facility. The NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament returns for its 13th booking in 22 years in March of 2006 with the first and second round games. The Huntsman Center has also played host to eight national gymnastics championships and the 1993 World University Games Trials. The NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships will return in 2007. Utah hosted NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament first and second round games in 2001. A landmark on the U. campus, the Jon M. Huntsman Center is the perfect place to watch a basketball game or gymnastics meet. A great view is assured from each of the 15,000 chair seats. Inside Sports recognized the building's superiority by naming it one of the top five collegiate arenas in the nation. From its perch at the southeast end of campus, the Huntsman Center stands sentinel over the University of Utah. Inside the facility are athletic coaches' and administrative offices, locker rooms and concession stands. The enormous reflective silver dome-the largest of its kind in the world-envelopes more than the arena itself. Underground tunnels stretching 2,220 feet connect the arena with the four-building physical education complex. In the center of the arrangement is the beautiful glass-enclosed natatorium; home of the Utah men's and women's swimming teams and site of the 1970 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships. In mint condition, the Huntsman Center has kept pace as one of the finest athletic facilities in the nation. MEN'S BASKETBALL Playing in the Huntsman Center is definitely an advantage for Ute teams, which annually rank in the NCAA's top 30 in attendance. In the last 14 years during the Rick Majerus era, the men's basketball teams have won 92 percent of their home games (196-18). The Utes have a 427-89 (.828) all-time record in the facility. Utah has gone unbeaten seven times in the Huntsman Center's 34-year history. Six of those undefeated home seasons have come under Majerus. The Utes have also never lost back-to-back home games with Majerus on the sideline.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL The women's basketball team has used the Huntsman Center to its advantage also, posting a stellar 310-39 (.888) winning percentage and nine undefeated home seasons, including the 2002-03 season. The Utes posted an amazing 28-game home winning streak that lasted from Jan. 12, 1995 to Feb. 8, 1997. When the string of victories ended, it was the third-best homecourt winning streak in the nation. GYMNASTICS Most impressive of the home winning streaks is the national record 170-meet streak that the gymnastics team compiled from 1979-2002. No other team in any NCAA sport had ever won that many consecutive regular season home competitions. The streak was snapped in the first meet of 2003 by eventual NCAA champion UCLA. Utah's diehard gymnastics fans have helped the Red Rocks attract the highest average attendance in the sport in 20 of the last 22 years. Since 1992, Utah's attendance average at has never dipped below 9,500 and its 10-year attendance average is over 10,000 fans per home meet.
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