It’s been a decade since the Utah men’s basketball team last made the NCAA Tournament.
The Runnin’ Utes have had three head coaches — Larry Krystkowiak, Craig Smith and now Alex Jensen — since they last made it to March Madness.
Before this year’s Big Dance, I asked you how you felt about Jensen and his first year on the job.
Here are the results:
Do you think Alex Jensen will lead the Runnin’ Utes back to the NCAA Tournament?
Yes — 83%
No — 17%
How many years will it take him to get the program back on track?
The responses to this were … much more varied. Some fans feel less optimistic about a one- or two-year turnaround for the program. It appears that most Runnin’ Ute fans (over half) think this rebuild will take three years.
2 years — 17%
3 years — 54.5%
4 years — 28.4%
Has your opinion of Jensen as Utah’s coach changed this year?
It appears that the spirits of Utah fans remain unchanged (47.7%) on Jensen after a last-place finish in the Big 12 standings.
More favorable — 22.7%
Less favorable — 17%
Unchanged — 47.7%
I need more time to know — 12.5%
What else do you think needs to happen for the program to turn around?
Based on the replies, there was a consensus on …
1. A clear need for more Name, Image and Likeness funding.
Some fans even compared the program’s fate to BYU, who reportedly spent at least $4 million on No. 1 recruit AJ Dybantsa. This year, the Runnin’ Utes program had roughly $3 million to 4 million, which was up from 2024 when Smith was working with around $2 million.
“As long as yearly free agency (NIL) is happening it may be difficult for programs without very deep pockets (Utah) to compete year after year,” one fan said in the poll.
2. Arena improvements and fan support
Most fans said there is a need for arena improvements, with many finding the Huntsman Center outdated, too big and lacking amenities (concessions, etc.)
Good news, though, Runnin’ Ute fans. It appears that a new arena renovation could be coming soon.
A vote is expected by the U.’s board of trustees on April 14 to approve a plan to completely renovate the new arena.
3. Patience and time for development
Other than a want for more NIL support and upgrades to the Huntsman Center, other fans advocated for Jensen to just have more time to build his team.
“Time to find the right players that will respond positively to his kind of coaching, the ability to keep his kind of players around, and the fans’ support during game days. A long journey and the right kind of man and coach!” one fan said.
Jason Batacao, a former Oklahoma City resident who graduated from the University of Oklahoma, covers the University of Utah for The Salt Lake Tribune. When he’s not covering the Utes, Jason enjoys watching movies, playing on his Xbox Series X and reading books.