The Utah Jazz rebrand launch is expected to happen Friday. Here’s what we know (2024)

The Utah Jazz’s long-awaited rebrand launch will take place on Friday, with the expectation that it will occur at 11 a.m. MDT.

Here’s a rundown of what to expect.

The background on the rebrand

Last September as the Jazz were beginning preparations for the 2021-22 season, photos surfaced on Twitter which showed that the team’s practice facility in Salt Lake City had a new look — photos that owner Ryan Smith acknowledged.

Gone were the Jazz’s blue, green and gold colors, and in their place was black and white.

👀👀….. https://t.co/Nfr0yKtHte

— Ryan Smith (@RyanQualtrics) September 15, 2021

That change fell in line with black and white team merchandise Smith had been seen wearing and some changes that had been made to player entrance areas at Vivint Arena.

A short time later, the “J Note” structure outside Vivint Arena was changed from being blue, green and yellow to black, the signage on the arena was made black and the team’s website and social media accounts started using black, white and yellow more frequently.

Black is taking over
not even the Jazz note in front of @vivintarena is safe ⚫️⚫️⚫️

📸 @BlackBladeEnma #JazzNation #UtahJazz #TakeNote pic.twitter.com/BhhaZugVOM

— JazzNation (@JazzNationNews) October 11, 2021

As all of those changes were happening, Smith and part-owner Dwyane Wade appeared at the Silicon Slopes Summit event in Utah and Smith was asked about the rebrand rumors.

Smith, who bought the Jazz in October 2020, confirmed that a rebrand was in the works and that black and white would be included, but more colors would also be part of it.

Fast forward to February of this year, and potential jersey concepts leaked — a white and yellow one, a yellow and black one, and a black and yellow one.

As time has gone on, noise has grown louder that those three jerseys are indeed part of the rebrand.

Per anonymous source .. the #UtahJazz plan to unveil four new jerseys on Friday
It will be these three jerseys + a new purple mountain jersey (unsure if it will be new City jersey though)
Jazz will also be showing off new courts on Friday #JazzNation #NBA #TakeNote pic.twitter.com/ijolK1M04D

— JazzNation (@JazzNationNews) June 15, 2022

Is purple coming back?

Things seemed to be pretty settled in February that black, white and yellow would be the Jazz’s main colors moving forward, and it largely became a question of when during this offseason the team would officially unveil things.

A notable curveball came during the Jazz’s playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks in late April, however.

The Twitter account Jazz Uniform Tracker observed that Smith “has definitely been wearing more and more purple lately,” and Smith acknowledged that purple would be part of the rebrand, writing that “Purple is who we are… It’s here to stay.”

Purple is who we are… It’s here to stay. https://t.co/gpnibsfsKX

— Ryan Smith (@RyanQualtrics) April 24, 2022

Smith also retweeted a tweet from Deseret News beat writer Sarah Todd which indicated that black, white, yellow and purple are all part of the rebrand.

🟣🟡⚫️⚪️ https://t.co/OsIxRho7WW

— Sarah Todd (@NBASarah) April 24, 2022

The latest

Things again were quiet on the rebrand front for a few weeks as major questions about the future of the Jazz franchise took center stage when the season ended, but conversation began in early June that the rebrand would be formally unveiled soon.

Then on Sunday, the Jazz posted a tweet indicating that the unveil would happen on Friday and that guard Jordan Clarkson got a sneak peek at the new look.

JC got the sneak peek 👀

𝟎𝟔.𝟏𝟕.𝟐𝟐 pic.twitter.com/WOFQeNmIcF

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) June 13, 2022

Then, on Thursday, photos began to surface on Twitter showing that the “J Note” is being changed from black to purple with the mountain logo that was featured on the team’s primary jerseys from 1996-2004 and was a secondary jersey in the 2019-20 season.

Additionally, New Era Cap announced the 2022 NBA draft hats, and the Twitter account JazzNation observed that no Jazz hat was listed on the company’s website.

That tweet got a reply from the company, which said to “Check back tomorrow.”

Check back tomorrow 🤫👀

— New Era Cap (@NewEraCap) June 16, 2022

Also Thursday at 11 a.m., the Jazz again tweeted the “sneak peek” video of Clarkson that they had shared on Sunday and captioned it “24 hours” with an hourglass emoji.

24 hours ⏳ pic.twitter.com/0KYhMFEFAJ

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) June 16, 2022
The Utah Jazz rebrand launch is expected to happen Friday. Here’s what we know (2024)

FAQs

Is the Utah Jazz rebranding? ›

SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz have announced their latest rebrand featuring four uniforms to be debuted during the 2024-25, and 2025-26 seasons. The new Jazz uniforms come just two seasons after the team underwent a radical makeover featuring a minimalist black, yellow, and white theme.

Why didn t the Jazz change their name when they moved to Utah? ›

Although Salt Lake City was not known for its jazz culture, the team decided to keep the name, as there was not enough time before the start of the 1979–80 season to receive league approval for a name change.

Are the Utah Jazz getting new uniforms? ›

The Jazz are adding a variety of new uniforms for the 2024-25 and '25-26 seasons. (From left) Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George, Taylor Hendricks and Walker Kessler show off Utah's new uniforms. The Utah Jazz are changing their uniform set and will have purple and blue as more prominent colors over the next two seasons.

Did the Utah Jazz mascot get fired? ›

The Utah Jazz have fired Jon Absey, the man who acted a…

The Utah Jazz have fired Jon Absey, the man who acted as the Utah Jazz Bear since the mascot's inception in 1994, The Salt Lake Tribune has learned. It is not clear why Absey was let go, but the team did confirm that he is no longer with the organization.

What NBA teams need a rebrand? ›

Five NBA teams in desperate need of a brand refresh, including the Mavericks, Thunder, and Jazz
  • Dallas Mavericks. Dallas Mavericks 2023-24 jersey rotation. ...
  • Detroit Pistons. Detroit Pistons 2023-24 jersey rotation. ...
  • Oklahoma City Thunder. Oklahoma City Thunder 2023-24 jersey rotation. ...
  • Washington Wizards. ...
  • Utah Jazz.
Mar 4, 2024

How much would it cost to buy the Utah Jazz? ›

The value of the National Basketball Association franchise Utah Jazz reached 3.09 billion U.S. dollars in 2023. This was an increase of over 50 percent from the previous year, when the figure stood at 2.025 billion U.S. dollars.

Is the Utah Jazz owner Mormon? ›

Personal life. Smith lives in Provo, Utah, and is married with five children. He is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and spent two years in Mexico as a missionary.

Who owns the Utah Jazz now? ›

The Smiths and Smith Entertainment Group (SEG) are now the majority owners of the Utah Jazz, Real Salt Lake, the Utah Royals, and the new NHL franchise. With this purchase, SEG has applied to work with Salt Lake City to build a sports district that will house multiple franchises and arenas.

Why is Utah called Jazz? ›

They were originally from New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 1970s. Jazz music is popular in New Orleans, and the team was named the Jazz when it was in New Orleans. The team kept the name when it moved to Utah. The Jazz are in Salt Lake City, Utah's capital, and they made it to the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998.

When did Jazz go to Utah? ›

In 1979 the franchise's financial difficulties led to a relocation to Salt Lake City, where it incongruously retained the name Jazz. Shortly before beginning its first season in Utah, the team traded for Adrian Dantley, who became the key figure in the Jazz's ascent to the upper echelon of the Western Conference.

Who just signed with the Utah Jazz? ›

29 overall picks in 2024 NBA Draft. The Utah Jazz have signed first round draft selections Cody Williams (10th overall) and Isaiah Collier (29th overall). Per team policy, terms of the deals were not released.

Are the Flyers getting new uniforms? ›

The Philadelphia Flyers unveiled today the club's new home and road uniforms featuring a collection of design elements and new features which officially usher in the team's New Era of Orange.

Who sold Utah Jazz? ›

After owning the team exclusively for 35 years, the Millers sold 80% of the Jazz to a group headed by Ryan Smith, co-founder of the Qualtrics software company, in October 2020.

Why did the Utah Jazz leave New Orleans? ›

The next season the Jazz won only 26 games, which included a 4-37 record; but even more crippling for the franchise was the mammoth rent. It was time to move, thought Sam Bettistone and Larry Hatfield of Santa Barbara, who were now the co-owners of the team.

Why did Wade buy Utah Jazz? ›

Never underestimate the power of a good hobby! Following his retirement from the NBA, Dwyane Wade, like many greats who have since left the league, picked up a new golfing habit, which ultimately led him to become a minority owner in the NBA team Utah Jazz.

What was the Utah Jazz formerly? ›

New Orleans Jazz

What did the Utah Jazz sell for? ›

In 2020, the Miller family sold what some thought it'd never sell—the Jazz— for a reported $1.66 billion, and the next year their car dealerships also for more than $3 billion, looking for business opportunities elsewhere.

Why did Jazz move to Utah? ›

In 1979 the franchise's financial difficulties led to a relocation to Salt Lake City, where it incongruously retained the name Jazz. Shortly before beginning its first season in Utah, the team traded for Adrian Dantley, who became the key figure in the Jazz's ascent to the upper echelon of the Western Conference.

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