Utah Runnin' Utes

The Utah Runnin' Utes play at the Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, home to one of college basketball's oldest and most surprising championship pedigrees. Utah's up-tempo "Runnin' Utes" identity has powered decades of high-scoring, crowd-pleasing basketball in the mountains. The program made the jump from the Pac-12 to the Big 12 in 2024. Few casual fans realize Utah owns a national title older than nearly every blue blood's first banner.

Utah won the NCAA championship in 1944, defeating Dartmouth 42-40 in overtime at Madison Square Garden behind freshman star Arnie Ferrin, the first freshman ever named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. It remains the program's only national title, won under longtime coach Vadal Peterson with a roster of mostly first-year players. Utah later built a reputation as the "Runnin' Utes" for its fast-paced style and reached another national championship game in 1998. The Utes moved from the Pac-12 to the Big 12 in 2024.