When the Utah Utes moved to the Pac-12 in 2011, the basketball program had to (more or less) start from scratch. At the time, the Utes were struggling on the hardwood, and cheap Utah basketball tickets were easy to find - and moving into a power conference didn’t make things any easier. However, such a great challenge was also a great opportunity for the Utes, who have been able to rebuild themselves as members of the Pac-12 to the point where last-minute Utah basketball tickets are once again in high demand.

Just Getting Started

The Utes had success early in their basketball history under longtime head coach Vadal Peterson, who led the program from 1927 to 1953. He made Utah a powerhouse of sorts in the Mountain States Conference. In the middle of Peterson’s tenure, the Utes spent one season as an independent, going 22-4 and winning the NCAA Tournament behind point guard Wataru Misaka, who later broke the color barrier in pro basketball.

Big Rick

In the post-Peterson era, Utah found plenty of success during the 50s, 60s, and 70s under coaches like Jack Gardner and Jerry Pimm. But it was Rick Majerus who gave Utah a permanent spot on the college basketball map. Before health reasons forced him to retire, Majerus coached Utah for 15 seasons, leading the program into a golden era. During that time, the Utes became the pre-eminent program in both the WAC and the Mountain West. On 10 occasions, Majerus led the Utes into the NCAA Tournament, guiding them to the Sweet 16 four times, including a run to the national championship game in 1998.

The Big Rebuild

Naturally, maintaining the same success the Utes experienced under Majerus, was difficult. But Larry Krystkowiak has things moving in the right direction. Despite going 6-25 in his first season at Utah, Krystkowiak needed just four seasons to get Utah back in the NCAA Tournament and into the Sweet 16. He’s quickly made the Utes one of the top teams in the Pac-12, positioning Utah for a return to its former glory in the years to come.