University of Utah Athletics Launches “Utes Travel” Powered by BookSeats

New partnership, secured by JMI Sports, provides fans with an opportunity to travel alongside the Utah Utes during their inaugural season in the Big 12 Conference

SALT LAKE CITY (Aug. 15, 2024) – Today, the University of Utah Athletics department announces the launch of “Utes Travel” powered by BookSeats. This partnership, secured by JMI Sports, is the first college sports team collaboration for BookSeats, providing fans, alumni, and students with a unique opportunity to travel alongside the Utah Utes during their inaugural season in the Big 12 Conference.

Utes Travel provides new value to fans by offering a seamless, ticket-inclusive booking experience for travel packages. The platform delivers convenience, customization, and savings to Utes fans globally who attend home and away games. By bundling two or more services—such as flights, accommodations, and tickets—fans can save up to 30 percent on their travel packages.

Not only is the Utes Travel platform a great resource for fans, but it also offers significant benefits for Utah student-athletes. The University of Utah has always prioritized athlete support, and this groundbreaking partnership continues that tradition. All profits generated from Utes Travel will go directly to Utah student-athletes, providing them with additional financial support as they navigate the evolving NIL landscape.

“At BookSeats, we’re extremely excited to partner with the University of Utah Athletics department to launch ‘Utes Travel,’ uniting some of the most passionate fans in college sports with a seamless travel experience,” said BookSeats Founder and CEO Joseph DeMarinis. “This collaboration not only enhances the travel experience for fans of all the University of Utah sports but also creates a groundbreaking opportunity for fan travel to directly generate revenue for student-athletes through NIL. We’re proud to contribute to this pioneering initiative as the Utes embark on their historic Big 12 journey.” 

By being the first college team to enter into such an agreement, Utah Athletics is leading the charge in integrating fan engagement with athlete support, setting a new standard for collegiate sports and travel partnerships. This is one of the first partnerships secured by JMI Sports following the announcement of their 10-year multimedia rights agreement.

“We’re beyond excited to offer our fans a unique chance to be part of the Utah Utes’ journey during this historic season,” said Vice President, Utah Utes Partnerships Matt Smith. “This partnership is not just a win for our fans and athletes but a testament to the innovative and enduring relationship we have with Utah Athletics. As we kick off this inaugural Big 12 season, we’re eager to continue pushing boundaries and creating unforgettable experiences for the Utah community.”

To take advantage of this offer, fans can visit this page, book directly on utes.bookseats.com or by visiting the sports schedule page on UtahUtes.com and clicking on the Utes Travel button.

For more information on JMI Sports, a leading media rights and venue development company dedicated to transformative partnerships, please visit jmisports.com.

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ABOUT BOOKSEATS

BookSeats revolutionizes fan travel with its innovative technology, allowing users to seamlessly build and book personalized, discounted ticket-inclusive travel packages. The live marketplace connects to top suppliers, offering a streamlined experience for event-goers. Beyond individual fans, BookSeats Experience empowers teams, leagues, and event planners to create branded travel platforms, enhancing fan experiences, unlocking global growth, generating revenue, and gaining valuable customer insights.

ABOUT UTAH ATHLETICS

With a long-running reputation as an athlet­ics power, the University of Utah claims 30 team national championships and 123 individual national titles in its history, including 86 in skiing and 32 in women’s gymnastics. Utah, which sponsors 20 NCAA sport programs, is a member of the Big 12 Conference beginning in 2024-25. The Utes have achieved a score of 93-percent or higher in the NCAA’s annual Graduation Success Rate (GSR) for six consecutive years, including a GSR of 94-percent in the 2023 report, tying for the fourth-highest rate among all power conference public institutions, and tying the second-highest score in department history. Learn more about the University of Utah at utah.edu and about Utah Athletics at utahutes.com.

ABOUT JMI SPORTS

JMI Sports is a leading media rights and venue development company that provides management of collegiate multimedia rights, sponsorship sales agency representation, and project management expertise for the development of collegiate and professional sports facilities. The company serves to maximize each client’s economic potential through customized initiatives, from marketing and branding solutions to facility design strategies.

JMI Sports’ signature collegiate multimedia rights partnerships include the University of Kentucky, the University of Utah, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Pittsburgh, Harvard University, DePaul University, Columbia University, San Diego State University, University of California at San Diego, and joint-venture properties of the University of Georgia (with Learfield), and University of Notre Dame (with Legends). JMI Sports also represents multimedia rights for several conferences, including the Ivy League, the Mid-American Conference, the Mountain West Conference, the Patriot League and the Atlantic 10, and serves as third-party sales representation for premier sports properties, venues and events, including the Breeders’ Cup, Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center, and the Penn Relays.

JMI Sports was founded in 2006 by CEO Erik Judson and technology entrepreneur John Moores, former owner of the San Diego Padres.

To learn more, please visit www.jmisports.com.