The same ownership group that brings Real Salt Lake to America First Field every match week is now considered a sure bet to bring Major League Baseball to Utah.
USA Today baseball columnist Bob Nightengale called Salt Lake City a "lock" for an MLB expansion franchise during a Monday, Aug. 3 appearance on KSL Sports Zone's "DJ and PK" radio program, as reported by the Deseret News.
"Salt Lake, I think, is a lock. It should be Nashville, but Salt Lake's got the ownership group, Dale Murphy's involved, everything else. I think it's a go for sure in Salt Lake," Nightengale said.
That ownership group is the Larry H. Miller Company, which acquired Real Salt Lake and Utah Royals FC in 2025 and already owns the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees. For Sandy-area fans who support RSL every match week, the Miller Company's baseball ambitions could add another major professional franchise to the local sports family.
$3.5 billion Power District
The Miller Company plans to invest $3.5 billion in the Power District, a 100-acre mixed-use development on Salt Lake City's west side near the airport. The project includes a reserved MLB ballpark site alongside office buildings, residential housing, a hotel, a riverwalk and retail. Construction of the first structure, a 10-story office building, was already underway earlier in 2026.
Stadium funding would come from private dollars, state sales tax revenue and rental car taxes paid primarily by out-of-state visitors. The Utah Legislature passed a $900 million funding bill in 2024, but the car rental tax component triggers only if MLB awards Utah a franchise by 2032.
Miller Company CEO Steve Starks told the Deseret News earlier this year that architects are working on ballpark site plans, including orientation and seating capacity. In a February 2026 interview with The Athletic, Starks said the company is ready, invoking Utah's pioneer history to describe the group's confidence in the project.
Growing chorus of national support
Nightengale's "lock" declaration was an escalation. He had previously called Salt Lake City a "heavy favorite," "clear frontrunner" and said it was "in the driver's seat."
National observers widely view Salt Lake City and Nashville as the top two expansion contenders. Forbes writer Maury Brown wrote in April 2026 that Big League Utah is "the furthest along in terms of funding, site development, and the general partner framework that MLB can easily vet." ESPN's Buster Olney, Cy Young winner David Cone and radio personality Chris "Mad Dog" Russo have all named Salt Lake City among the top expansion candidates.
The Salt Lake City-Provo-Orem corridor now has nearly 3 million residents, roughly double the population when MLB last expanded in 1998. The market ranks 27th nationally, ahead of current MLB cities Pittsburgh, Baltimore, San Diego, Kansas City, Cincinnati and Milwaukee.
No official timeline yet
MLB has not formally started the expansion process.
Commissioner Rob Manfred has said he wants expansion settled before his January 2029 retirement, with new teams unlikely to begin play before 2032 or 2033. The current collective bargaining agreement expires Dec. 1, 2026, and the next labor deal is expected to be the first step toward a formal expansion vote.
Big League Utah, the Miller-led coalition that includes two-time NL MVP Dale Murphy, publicly launched its franchise pursuit in April 2023. Murphy, who settled in Alpine after his playing career, told The Athletic in February 2026 that his confidence had evolved from uncertainty to conviction about Salt Lake City's chances.
Meanwhile, the Bees' new 8,000-capacity ballpark in South Jordan's Downtown Daybreak has drawn growing attendance and tours from baseball executives around the country. Bees president Ty Wardle told the Salt Lake Tribune in July that visiting executives describe the facility as feeling like a major league stadium.
RSL's next home match at America First Field is Saturday against Atlante. The next concrete MLB expansion milestone remains the Dec. 1 CBA expiration.
